Once in A Blue Moon
by Hika-chan1
Summary: Sequel DotM UPDATE! CH17 Tensions mount as battle approaches. The ultimatum is about to be made, Sesshoumaru's getting annoyed and Kagome flies
1. Meeting New Friends

I know I know, you don't need to tell me, I don't own Inu Yasha (or Sesshoumaru -sniff-) ... or any of the others really... unless they're original characters I made up :) and you know whic ones those aren't! err... yeah...   
  


**Once in a Blue Moon**  
An Inu Yasha Fanfic By Hika-chan  
Chapter 1:New "Friends"

  
  
Kagome sighed as she gazed at her reflection pulling on her bangs to examine their blue roots. It had been a month since her possession, and it did not look like any of her demonic attributes gained in that time were going away soon. She had to dye her bangs and azure streaks black as it was not allowed at school. Then she had to make sure that she concealed the deep blue moon on her forehead, which no longer had the sword through it, with make up and hair. Though why they had changed to blue and not just dissapeared had eluded her. At least she was able to file her nails down.. even though it took forever. Kagome thanked her lucky stars that her ears had not pointed, kami knew how she would have explained that one! So many strange things resulted from those few days with Tsukinoshi in her body.  
  
Like those dreams...  
  
She had yet to see her dream companion's face, but every other night he was there. And when she was there she was happy, and when she woke she felt warm and safe. She wanted to know who he was, but at the same time she knew it may very well ruin what they had.  
  
What they had? What they hell was she thinking? He was probably just some figment of her imagination! And here she was thinking of him as someone who was real, tangible. Ohh but he felt so real when he held her... He made her feel warm and safe an-...._Dammit Kagome stop it! _she scolded herself. Having some silly crush over a dream guy, literally.  
  
At least it was summer now, which lessened her stress greatly. She had not told Inu Yasha that she was no longer in school though. If she had he would never let her go home until summer was over. Despite that though she did still study some, afterall if this shard business wasn't done and over with by the end of summer she had best get a head start on things. She sighed looking at herself one last time before taking a quick look at some of her books.  
  
***  
  
Sesshoumaru all but growled in frustration upon awakening, that damn woman in his dreams again and she still refused to show him her face! While he had not this anger in the dreams, being denied consistenly for nearly every other night for the past month of such a simple gesture was beginning to piss him off. Despite the frustration it caused him (though not every time he woke from such a dream) he found himself going to bed in hopes of seeing her that night, even when he could have easily stayed up several nights in a row to aviod the frustration afterwards. _Who will you be when I meet you awake?_ he wondered to himself.  
  
While it was annoying, it seemed to be his only release of the busy schedule his life had adopted. The changing of leadership over the Western Lands was lengthy and full of dull ceremonies and tests and questions, making sure he was ready for the job. He was back at his own castle now, awaiting word from the council. One of the first things he was sure to do as Lord of the Western Lands would be to make this process go much quicker. A good portion of ceremonies were frivolous and a waste of time. On his way to the gardens Jaken aproached him. "Sesshoumaru-sama you have a visitor!"  
  
"If they are not from the council I do not care."  
  
"B..b..but Sesshoumaru-sama."  
  
"Would you dare disobey me Jaken?"  
  
"But it's Yuki-sama."  
  
Sesshoumaru froze in his tracks. "Yuki?"  
  
"H..hai Sesshoumaru-sama. Do you still wish me to send her away?"  
  
The youkai prince sighed deeply. "You know what to do Jaken." Turning the woman away only ever proved to make her more annoying, not that she wasn't bad enough already...  
  
"Hai Sesshoumaru-sama." With that the toad scurried away. The prince continued on to the garden, it would likely not belong before Yuki found him but while quiet was still attainable he thought he should enjoy it.  
  
"HHEEEELLOOOOO!! Where are you Sesshie!?!" Sesshoumaru winced as the voice echoed throughout his castle. Why did she have to visit now? Hell why did she have to visit ever!? "Ahh! There you are!" She lept from the hall to the center of the garden where he sat a bright smile on her pale face. "And how have you been doing Sesshie? It's been so long!"  
  
_Not long enough,_ he thought as he looked up at her. Her skin was deathly pale, almost as white as her hair and tail. Her eyes were a pale lilac color matching the slashes on her cheeks. In striking contrast to the rest of her features the mark on her forhead was a deep purple, the mark was a third eye, verticle, with a few delicate markings on either side. He had been told she was born during a snow storm half the reason for her name, the other half being her incredibly pale features so white that she almost glowed in bright light. "What brings you here Yuki?"  
  
She pouted slightly, "Why do I need a reason to come visit you Sesshie?"  
  
"This is the first time you visited me in sixty years. I'm sure there is a reason, and would you stop calling me that?"  
  
"Sure thing Sess-chan. Anyway you're right I'm here to wish you luck and support you as the new Lord of the Western Lands."  
  
He raised a brow, "Then where were you a month ago?"  
  
She laughed, "Oh I said I'd support you! Not be with you through that long, dull, and very boring process!"  
  
"At least we agree on something. But intuition tells me you still want something else."  
  
She grinned sitting beside him on the boulder, "Of course I do! To be right there with you Sess-chan." Sesshoumaru inwardly shuddered, he hated the names she called him! He stared at her, brow raised. She laughed again, "Alright you got me Sesshie, you know I've always wanted be in the court as more than just a noble, I want to be involved in the whole thing. And you know my abilities would be of great assistance to you in an advisory capacity."  
  
He gave her a deadpan glare, "And...?"  
  
"Oh you silly!" She whapped him in the back nearly causing him to fall off their perch. "You can put me on the court when you become lord of course!"  
  
Of course he knew that's what she meant, but he had seriously hopped it wasn't. "You are aware that I will not simply appoint you as anything just because of our... relationship aren't you?"  
  
"Oh you are ever the serious one! Of course I knew that, I'm just asking for consideration!"   
  
I know I will regret this. "I will remember to consider you Yuki..."  
  
"You promise!?"  
  
"promise..." he muttered.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama!!" The two dog youkai looked up as the child ran towards them.  
  
"Oh how CUTE!" Yuki squealed as she jumped to intercept Rin. Sesshoumaru covered one of his ears, how a grown dog demon could make that noise and not hurt their own ears was beyond him. "What's your name cutie?"  
  
"Rin!" She smiled happily.  
  
"Oh Sesshie she is so cute I could just eat her up!" Rin thought it was just a figure of speach, Sesshoumaru however got the joke.  
  
He was not amused.  
  
***  
  
Yuki had been here barely a day and already she was on the verge of driving him insane, he needed to find someway to distract her. "Sesshoumaru-sama?"  
  
"Yes Rin?"  
  
"How long is Yuki-sama staying? Can she stay a long time?"  
  
"I don't know and no."  
  
"Why not?" she pouted.  
  
"She irritates me."  
  
"Did Kagome-neechan irr- irritate you? Is that why she left?"  
  
"No she left of her own choice." He sighed and looked down at the parchment before him, how to busy Yuki indeed... true Rin did take up some of her time, but unlike Kagome Sesshoumaru wasn't sure whether or not Yuki would actually go and eat her or something. Hmm... come to think of it it had been around the last time Inu Yasha and his little band were here that the dreams started... Wait a second... That was it! He grinned, what better way to get Yuki off his back! And he had the perfect excuse to bring them here. "Rin would you like to see Kagome and the fox again?"  
  
"HAI!"  
  
***  
  
Kagome was somewhat thankful for her partial youkai-ness, it meant that she tired less easily. She was also a bit stronger and faster though she didn't think she could conciously control it... In a few life threatening instances she had moved almost as fast as Inu Yasha. Her smelling and hearing were also better, though she suspected it was no where near the hanyou's, it was at least twice that of her former senses. And she wasn't absolutely sure but she thought she could see better in the dark.  
  
Suddenly she stopped in her tracks. "What is it Kagome?"  
  
"I sense a shard approaching."  
  
The hanyou looked around, as did the monk and huntress. "Where from?"  
  
"That way," Kagome pointed, "It's off the ground, below the treetops."  
  
Inu Yasha grinned a bit, "Flyer huh? you guys hide I'll get it!" That said, the hanyou jumped into the trees then further up into the higher branches, to lie in wait for the approaching youkai. It wasn't long the red tipped black wings came into view.  
  
The light rustle of leaves was the youkai's only warning, but her youkai blood allowed her to react quickly. Turning herself to face up while drawing one of her wakazashi she met the red robed youkai head on. Slashing his clawed hands through the air, cutting off the ends of her red sashes and part of her skirt. She reached up one taloned hand, wrapping her fingers around his throat before stabbing forward with her blade.  
  
Inu Yasha backed off slightly dodging the blade, landing himself on a branch. Not far below him his opponent did the same. "Hand over the shard!" Inu Yasha demanded.  
  
She grinned her red eyes sparkling slightly under the red and black feathers that mimicked bangs. "Not going to happen I'm afraid," with that she reached up behind her, drawing another blade, that was, until she drew it, invisible. Inu Yasha studied her for a moment realizing how similar she looked to Tsukinoshi in color. But the smell was not the same so he knew he need not worry of her ressurection. Her "hair" as it was, was thin black and red feathers, her eyes were red outlined in black with feathered curves coming off of the outer corners. Her outfit was mostly white with red trimming. Her top was a midrif, tied at the bottom by the red sash he had damaged, her sleeves were sheer and red. The white part of her skirt was long in the back and spilt up the front. Just under that was a red pice of cloth that hung down to her knees, before he had cut it with his near miss it probably almost hung down to her feet. The bottom of her feet were bare but red leggings covered her lower legs.  
  
"Kagome where's the shard?"  
  
"On her necklace!"  
  
Inu Yasha narrowed his eyes at the object while the youkai appeared shocked at Kagome's ability. It was a silver snake, more like a choker, at the tip of the tale hung a tear shaped ruby and in the center of it's forehead he saw the sparkling shard. He launched himself at her claws bared, "Sankontetsuo!" The red youkai jumped back as Inu Yasha's claws instead cut through the branch she had previously occupied. Inu Yasha cursed under his breath as he had to change his momentum to land on another branch.  
  
The second his feet touched the wood he lept off again as the swords came in at him. Not long after Inu Yasha soon realized he would have to bring this battle to the ground, he was obviously at a disadvantage up here. Drawing the Tetsusaiga he slashed over her head, forcing his winged opponent down towards the ground.  
  
Kagome watched the fight when she suddenly noticed something. Ducking behind a rock she concentrated harder. While this woman had the shard... she wasn't accessing it's power. Why? "Inu Yasha Stop!"  
  
"Are you crazy!?" Kagome notched an arrow then shot it between the two combatants, forcing the two apart. She notched another and held it on the red and white youkai.  
  
"Why aren't you using the shikon's power?"  
  
The youkai before them raised an amused brow, "I am, just not the one you think."  
  
"What the hell are you talking about!?" Inu Yasha asked already imapatient, his adrenaline still pumping from the short battle.  
  
She grinned at him, "I use it to draw in other youkai, so that I may fight them, that is how I become stronger."  
  
"What an ingenius way to use it," Miroku mused as he came out from where he had been concealed.  
  
The youkai raised her head and huffed slightly, "You can tell the woman with the cat and cub to come out as well." Her hawk-like sight had seen the figures hiding below her, she had originally assumed that they were hiding from her, not plotting an ambush.  
  
Inu Yasha's nose twitched slightly as he finally let his mind register something in her scent. "You're a hanyou..."  
  
"-hmph- give dog boy a prize," she said flatly. "I can see I'm not the only one either," she muttered reguarding Inu Yasha. Then she turned her crimson orbs to Kagome, her bow still drawn. Her brow creased slightly and nodded her head at the young miko, "What are you? Quarter youkai?"  
  
Kagome was slightly taken aback by the assessment. Wanting to avoid the issue somewhat she put away her weapons, "I'm Kagome."  
  
The red hanyou raised a brow at the sudden civilty this girl was exhibiting. "Hikaru." she said plainly, replacing her weapons.  
  
"Nice to meet you this is Inu Yasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, Myouga and Kirara."   
  
Hikaru narrowed her eyes as the flea jumped onto her hand and squashed him before he could suck her blood. "None of that from you bug."  
  
"So what brings you through here?" Kagome asked, all but ignoring the events involving Myouga.  
  
Hikaru stared at her, "What makes it any business of yours?" Kagome opened her mouth to say she was just trying to make conversation when a dust cloud descended upon them, putting human, youkai and all in between into breif coughing fits. Hikaru flapped her wings clearing the air, when that was done there was one more amoung the group.  
  
Makumba grinned at them, a scroll in hand. All but Hikaru recognized the cheetah youkai as Sesshoumaru's servant. "What the hell are YOU doing here!?!"  
  
She cast a side glance at Inu Yasha then turned to Kagome. "I have a message for you."  
  
Kagome took the scroll and opened it, she was barely able to read the poorly written letter but smiled all the same. Inu Yasha did not like the fact that she was smiling at a note from Sesshoumaru. "What does he want and why are you smiling about it?"  
  
"They want us to visit."  
  
"WHAT!?"  
  
Kagome laughed at her companion's expression, before he snatched the note from her. "HEY! Give it!"  
  
"What's it-"  
  
"SIT!" WHAM! "-hmph- As I was going to say, it's from Rin, she wants me and Shippo to go visit her again."  
  
"You are NOT going there!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because it's dangerous!"  
  
"I don't think he'll hurt us Inu Yasha. Rin wouldn't let him."  
  
"And how is she supposed to stop him?"  
  
Kagome grinned, "What's the easiest way to stop you Inu Yasha?"  
  
"You say sit?"  
  
Kagome shook her head, "Nope, crying, emotional blackmail."  
  
"That's my point he doesn't have any emotions!"  
  
"Yes he does," Kagome retorted as though it were common knowledge.  
  
"Does not."  
  
"Does too."  
  
"Does not!"  
  
"Does too."  
  
"Does NOT!"  
  
"Does too." The others simply watched, some bored, the strangers almost fascinated. They watched like a tennis match, turning to each one as they spoke.  
  
"If you'll pardon me," Makumba cut in, "Sesshoumaru-sama has said that, though he would dispise it so, he would be willing to accomidate Inu Yasha-sama and the others if Kagome and Shippo cannot come otherwise." For once though, this could hardly be farther from the truth. Sesshoumaru actually wanted Inu Yasha to come and had invited Kagome knowing that Inu Yasha would not let her come alone.  
  
"Excuse me did you just say 'Sesshoumaru'?"  
  
Makumba turned to the winged hanyou, "Yes. Why?"  
  
"No reason." _Great now I am going to have to go the same place as these humans! I knew I should have asked father to sent Nataku instead..._  
  
"So how many must we prepare for?" Makumba asked.  
  
"Well if it'll piss him off tell him we're all coming." Inu Yasha grinned.  
  
"Her included?" Makumba asked gesturing to Hikaru.  
  
"No." Inu Yasha answered.  
  
"Yes." Hikaru retorted.  
  
"Which is it?"  
  
"Actually, you already should have recieved word of my arrival. I am Hikaru, daughter of Akahuu."  
  
Makumba took a moment to think before nodding, "yes I believe so... well now that I have a number I should be seeing you all tomorrow then." Without another word the cheetah turned on her heel and ran off.  
  
Kagome turned to Sango, "Could we make it by tomorrow?"  
  
Sango shook her head, "Not on foot, if we rode Kirara and if Tanuki-san were he here we could." They all knew that Kirara would not be able to carry all of them.  
  
"Miroku -sama is Tanuki nearby do you know?"  
  
Miroku grinned, "It just so happens I have a method of calling him should I need his services. Shall I?"  
  
Kagome grinned, "Oh please do."  
  
"-hmph- well you all take your time," Hikaru huffed, "I'm going." With that she jumped into the trees, out of the canopy and began to take flight.  
  
"HEY! Get back here!! Shit! She's got a shard!"  
  
"Calm down Inu Yasha, we know exactly where she's going anyway. Don't worry about it."  
  
------------------------------  
  
Ohhh tons o' fun today huh? Yeah I know their first encounter with Hikaru kinda sux with the shard thing and all but... I had already draw this pic of Inu Yasha attacking her and I just wanted to get that image in there!  
  
Stuff to ponder: So Why did Kagome "change color"? Who is this Yuki chick? What is her "relationship" with Sesshoumaru? And what is up with that Hikaru hanyou girl?  
  
Some of these questions to be answered next chapter! For other answers...well you'll have to wait :) 


	2. In the Hours Before Dawn

**Once In A Blue Moon**  
An Inu Yasha Fanfic by Hika-chan  
Chapter 2: In The Hours Before Dawn  
  


She sighed contentedly against his chest, once again simply indulging in his prescence and his warmth. But the normal dreamlike contentment would not be the same as the other nights when they were together. She was shocked when he spoke first, and even more so at what he said. "Why is it... you never tell me who you are?"  
  
She flinched slightly in his arms at the question, somehow his voice seemed less surreal than usual. "Why don't you tell me?" she responded, somewhat hesitantly not sure where this was going.  
  
She felt him shrug, "You never asked." _Why does she seem less confident now? Why does she feel more... real?_ "Why don't you ask?"  
  
She sat up slightly and turned halfway to him, her black hair masking her face. He wanted to reach out and brush it aside to see what she looked like, but fear of that ending this dream he did not. The force of this dream world compelled him not to. "Because," she whispered, "I'm afraid."  
  
"Of what? Me?" He almost sounded amused.  
  
Raven locks rippled as she shook her head, "No. Of losing this, what we have now." She paused and tuned her head away from him, looking at the setting sun over the water before them. "I'm afraid that.. when and if we meet awake we won't... that we won't fit into each other's lives. That everything we have here will be ruined and lost."  
  
He smiled at her childish fear, "Now what makes you think a thing like that?" She was not just a dream now, he was sure of it. Every time before now she had been calm, so much so that she seemed intangible, ethereal. But now, she worried, she was scared, her voice trembled with emotion, she was not merely content. She was _real_.  
  
"What we have... it's almost like a sanctuary for me, no matter how the day goes, our meetings here make it a good one... I don't want to lose it."  
  
She could hear the grin in his voice, "Now what makes you think it won't get better?"  
  
She turned sideways to him again, the bright orange sun behind her head hiding her features. Inwardly he scowled at the mocking sun that once again denied him of the simple pleasure of her identity. A light laughter escaped her lips, "Suffice to say this seems too perfect to exist even in dreams... how can I dare even think it can exist in reality?"  
  
He rose to his knees and pulled her close to him, she easily obliged and settled her head against his shoulder, nuzzling her head against his neck lovingly, almost like a cat. "You worry too much," he whispered assuringly. "But could you please tell me something I could know you by?" Were he awake he would simply demand it, but in this dream state, he did not fear the show of tenderness, well not anymore, afterall there was no one else to see it.  
  
Her uneasiness rose inside her but at the same time his embrace eased her nervousness. "I don't know what to tell you..."   
  
The sun dove below the horizon faster than it should have, eveloping them in darkness so that when he pulled back their faces could not be seen. "I will give you something to remember," he whispered, gently taking her chin in his hand and placing a simple, chaste kiss upon her lips.  
  
When the kiss broke he could feel her smile warm him, "blue moon..." she whispered.  
  


***

  
  
Sesshoumaru sat up in his bed, sighing slightly at the memoy of the kiss he had stolen. Contentment was soon stolen away by confusion, "_Blue moon_" she had said, _Does she have an idea of who I am?_ He pondered thinking on the cresant decorating his forehead. _No she can't possibly, not after all the things she had said were her fears. If she knew who I was then she would have not said that._ And why now did he talk to her concious self? Suddenly a realization struck him, "She's close."  
  


***

  
  
Kagome opened her eyes slowly. _Well that was different_, she thought. She sat up slowly careful not to disturb the kitsune cub beside her. She scanned the camp quickly, Inu Yasha, Miroku, and Sango were all still asleep, a closer look told her that Kirara and Myouga were as well. She sighed and got out of the sleeping bag. She picked up a water bottle, remembering there was a stream about a hundred meters away. She looked at her watch, 4:30. _Oh well, I'll just wash my face, get a drink and go back to sleep._  
  
"Kagome-sama? What are you doing?"  
  
She turned at the voice, "Ah Tanuki-san, I'm just going to get some cold water. The stream is that way correct?"The racoon nodded. "Don't worry about me, I'll be back in a few minutes." Aside from nearly tripping on a root her trip to the stream was rather uneventful. It was a rather small stream, about five feet wide and probably only three feet deep at the most. Putting the bottle down at her side she kneeled down and splashed some of the refreshing liquid upon her face. "That was just too wierd," she muttered to herself. She looked down at her reflection in the water. He's real, she thought, both happy and afraid at the same time. What if was really an asshole? _I mean he's certainly confident, all sure everything would work out... Maybe he's just a hopless romantic like me..._ She giggled a bit. No some how she knew that he was not. She smiled at her reflection, "or maybe he just doesn't know it yet."  
  
Suddenly she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end, a youkai was coming if it was not already here. _Dammit! and I left my bow at the camp!_ She grabbed the bottle and went to stand, about to turn back towards camp, when half way to standing, she froze.  
  
On the opposite side of the stream, regaurding her with intrest and bored, golden eyes, Sesshoumaru was looking at her. He wore his usual outfit, swords at his side, but no armor, if she had to guess she would assume that he had been in a rush to get dressed. "Sesshoumaru, what are you doing here?" She half whispered, as though her friends would wake if she spoke louder.  
  
"Apparently watching you talk to yourself." He said in his usual monotone voice, though in actuality he was quite amused.  
  
Her shoulders slumped and she seemed suddenly annoyed, "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Looking for a kill," he lied, grinning inside as her face paled visibly even in the moonlight. "I am looking for someone..."  
  
_Why that jerk! Teasing me like that! Wait did he say-_ Fear and concern immediately crossed her features, "Rin's not missing is she?"  
  
He almost smiled at her concern, _almost_. "No I was looking for someone else, I got the distinct feeling they were in this direction, but it seems I was mistaken."  
  
"That doesn't seem very like you," she said, kneeling down to fill the bottle with water.  
  
He raised a brow, "You know me so well?"  
  
She grinned, "Well... no, but that would just be my guess."  
  
_And of course she's right..._ Sesshoumaru thought to himself as he silently watched her fil the bottle, _Not only did you just wander off in the middle of the night from a dream and a feeling, you actually admitted to making a mistake! At least it doesn't seem she caught it. _"It suites you." He said suddenly.  
  
"What?" she asked confused. When she stood she was startled to realize he was standing an arms length from her, easily balanced on a rock protruding from the water's surface.  
  
He reached out a hand slowly, she took a half step back and his fingers took hold of an azure lock of hair. "The blue, it suits you better. Your aura I mean." While his face was still straight it was beggining to take some effort to keep it so. Her heartbeat was speeding up, he wasn't even that close! It took so little to make her uneasy and the fact that he found some sadistic joy in it helped him take his mind off of his on wonderings.  
  
"I see.. I guess that explains the color change then," she said uneasily as she backed up enough for her hair to fall free of where is hung loosly on his fingers. She brought the bottle up to her chest, holding it there in an unconcious gesture to protect herself from anything that may happen.  
  
He raised a brow again, "You fear me?"  
  
"No. Yes... errr.. is that a trick question?"  
  
This was too fun, it was actually taking a concious effort not to smile at her antics. "I do not bother with such frivolous endevours. You clearly fear something, I can smell it, and you have brought your arms over your chest as though to guard yourself."  
  
Her expression turned confused for a moment and she pulled out the collar of her shirt sniffing it, "I don't smell anything." She looked up at him a confused near pout on her face. He responded back with a you-honestly-didn't-think-that-would-work-did-you? look. The confused pout turned into an angry one, "What!?"  
  
"You can't smell your own fear, besides now you're just annoyed."  
  
"Well I wonder why," she huffed before catching a scent on the wind, it was his but it was a bit different from when he arrived. It was a useless distance at which she could smell, not like a youkai who could smell danger coming from literally a mile away. Something came to her mind as she matched the odd thing in his scent with something in his eyes. Her mouth hung open in offended shock, "You're enjoying this aren't you!?"  
  
His eyes widened, surprised that she could sense it. "What makes you say that?" _Amazing how her fear vanishes when she's angry..._  
  
"God you're such a jerk!" She said putting a hand in the middle of his chest and pushing.   
  
He stepped back to keep his balance, one of his feet landing in the shallow water by the bank. He frowned at his wet foot and stepped back onto the rock. _Or maybe she just forgets who she's talking too._ He looked back at her one snowy brow raised in annoyance. _Well I shall just have to remind her._"Do not forget to whom you are speaking woman."  
  
Kagome's blue eyes widened, _Oops.._. Had she the inclination to think more on something other than getting away it would have been "Baaaaaad move Kagome."  
  
He took a step forward onto the bank and she took two back. Narrowing his eyes at her and smelling her fear he grinned inside, Good, she finally remembers who I am. "You are very lucky Rin is so fond of you." He kept walking forward until she backed herself into a tree. He stared into her eyes for a long quiet minute, she obviously wasn't sure whether that meant if he would kill her or not. Finally a smirk touched his lips and with a "hmph" he backed up a few feet. "Any other changes since Tsukinoshi left?"  
  
She gawked at him, he had started speaking again as though they had been having a normal friendly chat the entire time, he found her expression to be quite amusing. "n..No, unfortunately, I still have most of the limited youkai attributes I gained then. Well the mark on my f-"  
  
"Kagome-sama?" They both turned towards the woods, it Tanuki was calling, worried for the girl.  
  
"I'm alright. I'm coming!"  
  
"Should I walk you back?"  
  
"Ehhh.. I don't think that would be a good idea, Inu Yasha would-"  
  
"Yes I suppose you are right. See you tomorrow?"  
  
"eh? Oh, yeah... sure thing." She turned then, returning to the camp and he stood there listening to see that she made it back to the camp safely. He grinned and chuckled somewhat when he heard her trip cursing, "Damn root..." That done he took off in the air to go back to his castle, he may not have found that dream woman tonight but at least he did find some amusement.  
  
------------------------------------  
  
**Hika-chan**: Ok well I had half of that one planned out before I started writing the first chapter so this one came out pretty quick, I can't make any promises on the next one coming out this fast though... come to think of it this one's kinda short compared to most of my chapters...   
  
Unfortunately it looks like "Beautiful Nightmare" won't be getting so much attention now that I'm working on this one (that and it's hardly getting any reviews :( *shrug* I only have so much creative energy here people! Between fanfics and art classes I'm getting tapped out!  
  
Anyway... I gues I only kinda answered one question from the last chapter... (the color changing thing).. oh well! Some questions about Yuki should be answered next chapter *rubs her hands together and grins evilly* heh heh heheheh...  
  
Oh! And Tanuki, in case you hadn't guessed already he's the racoon they get rides from... I think that's his name, I'm not sure because I think "Tanuki" means "racoon" soo.... yeah.  
  
PS- I made a Sess/Kag desktop/wallpaper/ whatever on my web page :) it's here "http://www.freewebs.com/hika-chan/wp2.htm" 


	3. Color Reading

**Once In A Blue Moon**  
An Inu Yasha Fanfic by Hika-chan  
Chapter 3: Color Reading

  
  
It was early in the morning when Yuki decided to bother Sesshoumaru again. "I hope your dressed Sesshie, because I'm coming in!" She paused for about two seconds before slowly opening the door, knowing that her host was easily fast enough to at least cover himself by the time he was in view. _He must have been awake already_, she thought, noticing him fully dressed leaning against the doorway to the balcony overlooking the rest of the compound as well as the land beyond it. His back was to her, but she could tell he was thoughtful, she wondered what about. Curiosity getting the better of her, especially since he had not yet seemed to notice her she conciously shifted the muscles in her eyes to view the youkai's aura  
  
Most youkai could make out human auras. Humans could too, but they often lost the skill before they knew what it was, in fact most humans didn't know what it was after the fact. Seeing auras would be the reason why, in the future, children coloring with crayons would give people skin of odd colors like green or purple. But being told those colors aren't there they stop using those muscles in their eyes and they would atrophy.  
  
But the youkai knew what it was, and encouraged and harnessed it, youkai could easily read the auras of emotional humans. With such a skill many could tell which ones would be most obedient, or if they were lying. Though when it came to other youkai, their auras would often appear cloudy, as they knew how to mask them auras from being read. However Yuki's skills were exceptional, not only could she read humans and youkai with equal ease, she could also see the magical auras in items. She could tell if they had "bit" someone as she put it. If they were cut enough and if it was recently enough she could even say who, as the weapon, epecially magical ones, would take on a bit of their victim's aura.  
  
None of that concerned her now as she studied the aura about Sesshoumaru. She was quite surprised at the colors she saw. Never before had she seen this balance of colors in him. The magenta and purple that usually had dominance, representing his pompus nature and rulership over his domain, was set deep in the background. Along with it the black dignity and formality seemed to be more or less an afterthought. And the practicle side of him was barely visible at all. The pale yellow told he was deep in thought, _wishful thinking_, she noted. There were certain specks of light color, mixed in with a red, _it's something he's become rather passionate about... and is that..._ "!!" _Such affection! It's almost.. dare I say it? Love!... But for who?_ She squinted and studied it further, another surprise came to mind, He doesn't know!? Well that is very unlike him. The orange was a constant though, self-sufficient as always, and likely to get what he wants, he was just trying to figure out how.  
  
Suddenly her attention turned from him as she noticed a stark contrast next to his bed. She looked over at his two swords, Tenseiga and Toukijin. Tenseiga was bright, shining bright azure, almost white, if she had not known already she would have known now that Tenseiga was a healing sword. It had been used on three.. no four people total. The two most recent people were odd though. It almost seemed as though it was used on one body but two souls.  
  
Toukijin, on the other hand emitted a deep black aura with other hateful colors mixxed in. Black could often be a sign of an emotional shield but with this intensity, she had seen very few things like this before, it wreaked of death. It didn't even seem like the _color _black, or any of the colors at all. It was just a swirling aura of negativity and hate. "Goodness Sess-chan where did you ever find such an offensive weapon?" She asked, her voice puposefully louder and squealier than it had to be to shake him out of his reverie.  
  
He turned in her direction, she was amazed at how easily he handled his emotions as she watched the swirling colors of his aura shift, by the time he was finished speaking it more closely resembled what she was use to seeing in him. "It was made to be Tetsusaiga's rival, made from the teeth of the oni that broke it by one of Toutousai's former students."  
  
She narrowed her eyes on the weapon, "And was killed by it too it seems... You have only used this against Inu Yasha?" She asked, sensing the hanyou's aura had been bitten by the weapon  
  
"And breifly against Tsukinoshi."  
  
"I see.." She scanned the room seeing the aura of a third weapon in a box on the dresser. _She is so fickle,_ Sesshoumaru thought, _Her attention span is short enough to rival Rin's._ She walked over to the dresser, pulling the dagger with it's white and purple aura out of the box. "This is-"  
  
"Mother's dagger, indeed. Tsukinoshi had it."  
  
Her eyes widened slightly, she sniffed the blade as though that helped confirm the reason of her suprise. She analyzed the aura more closely. "It has been used recently?" It was barely a question, more asked in an effort to drag him into conversation.  
  
"Yes, though not by me."  
  
"Used on you?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then please explain." Sesshoumaru sighed, and relayed the story of a month earlier, since he had not told her the details of Kagome's possession and Tsukinoshi he decided he would get that out of the way now as well. Conviently it answered her question about Tenseiga's use. During the tale Sesshoumaru was careful not to refer to Kagome by her name, calling her 'Inu Yasha's woman', 'the miko/girl/wench', Yuki would never let it go should he admit to knowing a human's name, especially a woman's. He ended the story after he awoke with his arm, not mentioning the dream, or any moments with Kagome that could be considered intimate aside from those reguarding the dagger. After the tale was told she nodded and crossed her arms in thought. "Tell me, did you taste her?"  
  
Sesshoumaru raised a brow, "I'm suprised Yuki, you usually display much more tact on such subjects.  
  
"Not that." She sighed in exasperation, "You bandaged her wound, did you taste her blood?"  
  
He thought a moment, "I remember licking my fingers out of habit yes. Why?"  
  
"Has anyone else been cut by this?" She asked, ignoring his question.  
  
"I was careless the following day while cleaning it and nicked my palm. Again why?" She didn't seem to pay attention, studying the dagger and placing it back in the box. "Yuki."  
  
"Hmm? Oh no reason, I just noticed it had two auras it had bit recently. I just wondered who it was."  
  
"You have the curiousity of a cat Yuki."  
  
She grinned at him, "Meow Sesshie."  
  
He rolled his eyes away from her then noticed Juutsuma standing by the door. Sesshoumaru nodded to him. The tiger knew the signal and reported to his lord. "Sesshoumaru-sama the guests will be arriving soon."  
  
Yuki turned to Sesshoumaru a bright smile upon her face, "More guests!?" He nodded. "Oh who!? Tell me I simply must know!"  
  
"No. It is a surprise." That said he went over to the stand on which his armor sat and began to put it on.  
  


***

  
  
Hikaru scowled slightly as she saw the group below her. They had passed her sometime the day before, but she was still somewhat dissapointed that they had beaten her. Of course she had been slowed by a natural form of flight, beating her wings against the air, as opposed to utilizing youki in order to levitate. She landed right behind them, a short distance from Sesshoumaru's castle. "It seems we shall be walking in together."  
  
They turned at her voice Inu Yasha's face twisted up in annoyance, "Willing to share the attention are you?"  
  
She leveled her gaze at him, a grin decorating her lips, "Whatever gave you the idea that I was so vain?"  
  
"Keh," Inu Yasha simply turned and continued towards the castle door. Two minutes later.. two rather aggrivating minutes for Inu Yasha as Hikaru had appearently targeted him for verbal annoyance. He pounded on the gates of the castle much harder than he normally would have. Leaving a fist shaped dent in the wood.  
  
The gates opened and about two seconds after that Kagome was tackled by Rin. "Kagome-neechan! Kagome-neechan! Kagome-neechan I have missed you SOOoo much!!" Kagome smiled and knelt down hugging the girl tightly before she let go and went over to the kitsune, "I missed you too Shipoo!" She smiled brightly as she hugged him. Shippo blushed. The kitsune soon then found himself being chased around by the girl.  
  
Hikaru grinned, "-hmph- what are you people? Baby sitters?"  
  
"I'm glad you all could come." They all looked up at the voice seeing Sesshoumaru, Hikaru was the only one who bowed. _Do these humans have no respect!?_ she thought coldly, surely Sesshoumaru would kill them for such insolence. But as it was he currently took little notice of the stranger as he grinned at Inu Yasha. The sadisically happy look on his brother's face made the hanyou uneasy, suddenly remembering his "confinment" the last time he had been here. "And I am quite happy that you could make it Inu Yasha."  
  
"And why the hell is tha-"  
  
"Did you say Inu Yasha!? A female voice projected out into courtyard. Kagome had never seen the hanyou pale so quickly.  
  
"Sesshoumaru.. tell me it's not-"  
  
"Inu-CHAN!" She squealed as she burst out of nowhere and hugged him. Inu Yasha winced as his ears flatened on his head, trying to protect themselves from the decibles she was emmiting. Kagome was not too happy with it either having been standing next to Inu Yasha, her hands over her ears. In fact even the humans had to wince. "It has been just SO long! How have you been!"  
  
"Stuck to a tree Yuki," he muttered.  
  
"Now now, what have I told you to call me?"  
  
Inu Yasha sighed, happy that she had at least lowered her voice. "A...aneeue..." he grumbled.  
  
Kagome and shippo gasped, aparently the only ones to hear and decipher his grumbles out of their group. "And what delicious people you brought with you! Such friendly auras they have!" Yuki did not give them much time to think on her odd remark though as she turned to Hikaru. "And who is this pretty young hanyou girl? Is she your girlfriend. Ohh it's so a_DOR_able! You match!" Yuki cooed, referring to the colors both wore.  
  
"What!? I am NOT seeing this.. this... this mutt!"  
  
"Keh! Like I woud ever find you attractive! The only thing you're probably useful for is pillow stuffing."  
  
"I BEG your pardon!?"  
  
"Ohh you two are so CUTE!"  
  
Sesshoumaru cleared his throat and got the attention of the bickering hanyou's. "You are Akahuu-sama's daughter?"  
  
She turned to him quickly, suddenly emmiting formality about her. She bowed, "Hai Sesshoumaru-sama. As you know I came to discuss certain things with you on my father's behalf."  
  
"And why is it he has sent you in his stead?"  
  
"My father has recently been involved in a battle, he is currently recovering from his injuries and the poisons."  
  
"I see. Jaken."  
  
"Hai Sesshoumaru-sama?"  
  
"Lead her to the audience chamber, I will be there in a moment."  
  
"hai!"  
  
Sometime during that encounter Kagome had dumbly witnessed Yuki drag Inu Yasha off to catch up. "Ne Sesshoumaru?"  
  
"mm?"  
  
"Yuki... is Inu Yasha's..."  
  
"Half sister yes."  
  
"So then she's your..." Miroku started, now seeing what surprised Kagome earlier.  
  
"Older sister."  
  
"That is.. amazing," Sango stuttered.  
  
"What is so amazing about it?"  
  
"Well," Kagome started, how should she put it, from what she had seen so far she thought that Yuki, while still being reguarded as eccentric would fit in much better in modern Japan as compared to Sengoku Jidai. "I mean she's just so.. so..." _Eccentric? Vocal? Animated? American? Definitely American if they knew what that meant._ "bouncy," she finally decided.  
  
"Indeed." He rose a hand and Youtei, the hawk youkai that they had fought before, stepped forward. "Youtei will show you to your rooms, right now I have business to attend to." Before he dissapeared into the building Kagome called out to him, he paused, "Yes?"  
  
"Did you call us here just so Inu Yasha would distract Yuki?"  
  
"Of course not miko-sama, Rin wanted to see you." He answered curtly, but Kagome could not help but notice the mischiveious twinkle in his eye, and shook her head as he turned back towards the audience chamber.  
  


***

  
  
"Akahuu's daughter..." Sesshoumaru mused aloud, "Your name?"  
  
"Hikaru."  
  
"Yes I remember now. You are hanyou?" She nodded. "And what exactly is the pupose of this visit?"  
  
"My father wishes to offer you his support in your reign."  
  
"He is early then, I, Sesshoumaru, have not yet taken my place as Lord of the Western Lands."  
  
"He is aware of that, but having been a close friend of your father he wants for you to know that he supports you reguardless."  
  
Sesshoumaru raised a brow, "He just as easily could have sent a message."  
  
"I was also sent to serve you during my stay."  
  
"I have no need of female services."  
  
Hikaru felt a the tension in her shoulders release, "No offense intended Sesshoumaru-sama, but I am very greatful for that. But I do have other abilities that may make me useful."  
  
"Such as?"  
  
She looked around the incrediby bare room for a target of some kind. There was the carpet, the throne, and some tapestries. Other than there there was only her, Sesshoumaru and the toad Jaken. She tried to hide her grin and gestured to Jaken. "May I? He will come to no harm."  
  
Sesshoumaru nodded, "Harm him if you wish." Her brows raised in surprise as Jaken began to sputter protests. The red of Hikaru's irises spread to the rest of her eyes as they glowed. Wind poured into the room and Jaken was enveloped in a whirlwind. The Staff of Heads came flying out and landed in Hikaru's hand. Sesshoumaru hid his amusement as his retainer was sent spinning and flying around the room. The whirlwind came and hovered in between Hikaru and Sesshoumaru and quickly dispelled dropping the dizzy toad on the ground. Sesshoumaru looked down his nose at the unconcious Jaken. "Interesting."  
  
"I am able to do more outdoors, or in larger spaces."  
  
Sesshoumaru stood, "Feel free to wander the grounds, Jaken will show you to your quarters when he awakens."  
  
"Thank you Sesshoumaru-sama."  
  


***

  
  
Yuki sat alone now, having since let Inu Yasha go, and was currently analyzing the guests she had seen earlier in her mind, she had not seen much of them but the main colors of their aura's was enough to give her a good idea. Inu Yasha's aura, had of course been mostly maroon and crimson, just as she remembered. Moody, competitive, ready for a fight, volatile and yet warm. Ahh yes her little brother was still quite the spit fire he had always been.  
  
The monk was mostly green, the opposite of Inu Yasha. More thoughtful in his actions and likely to make the most of any situation. He would be quite easy to get along with, she was sure. The huntress was navy blue and black, faithfulness and trust along with the formality of convention. But she had the same gray in her as the monk, denoting fear and uncertainty in their fates. Yuki knew that most of this was not directed at Sesshoumaru or her, true they probably had some towards her, it only made sense she was a youkai after all, but it was deeper than just present company. Something that they wanted to confront and put an end to lay out in the world.  
  
The kitsune was of course so innocent, white and ultramarine filled his essence. So innocent and pure with a dedication and faithfulness based almost purely on affection, that brought her around to Kagome, the one who must have been the object of his faithfulness.  
  
Kagome was a wonder to her, never had she seen an aura in a person of her age. Pink and azure consumed most of her aura, it was amazing really. She must have made friends so easily, hell the girl was probably bordering on a magnet. However this also meant she was easily hurt, but ironically quick to recover as well. The pink also indicated that jealousy and anger, rather than consume her, should, more often than not, end up consumed by the love within her. She was so willing to serve and help others... that brought her to the unselfishness that the azure spoke of. She had learned the this was the girl looking for the Shikon shards and yet she had no need or want of the tama herself.  
  
Yuki grinned to herself, _No wonder Sesshoumaru let her live. He must be quite fond of her, even if he doesn't see it._ Oh he had not given any clues in his tone of voice or expression while he had told her the story earlier, but that meant little to Yuki. She was an absolute expert at reading people's swirling aura's especially that of her stone faced brother. There had been tiny fluctuations in his aura as he told his story, puposefully skipping some details and not mentioning her name.  
  
"Yuki."  
  
_Speak of the devil.._ she thought. "Yes brother dear?"  
  
"Time to demonstrate some of that usefulness you implied earlier. What do you think of Akahuu-sama's daughter?"  
  
"Oh she seems like she'd be fun. Don't you think her and I-"  
  
"That's not what I meant. I was speaking of her intentions."  
  
"She's very loyal, my guess would be that this loyalty lies with her father. Whether or not you trust her should be based on whether or not you trust Akahuu."  
  
Sesshoumaru nodded. _Indeed, how much did he trust the hawk?_  
  
-------------------------  
  
**Aneeue **(sp?)- "Big sister", I think it's an older more formal way of saying it; it's the same way Kohaku adresses Sango (and I think it sounds cool.)  
  
**Hika-chan**: What? Did you think Yuki was a romantic rival? :)  
Oh and that whole aura thing, not made up. though I don't really know if I got all the colors right b/c I was combining something about colorology and aura/chakra stuff >_  
  
Well it's probably going to be at least a week before I get the next chapter out 'cause I have a paper due in three days that I haven't started yet. ^_^'  



	4. Are You My Blue Moon?

If I owned them I'd probably be rich.. and trust me I'm not.... 

**Once In A Blue Moon **  
An Inu Yasha Fanfic by Hika-chan  
Chapter 4: Are You My Blue Moon?

  
  
It had been another two days in the castle since Inu Yasha, his friends and the hanyou girl had arrived. Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru avoided each other like the plague. And while the Hanyou attempted the same with his older sister, Yuki was quite skilled in finding the hanyou when she wished time with him.   
  
Hikaru meanwhile was getting fed up with Inu Yasha who kept following her around, trying to con her out of the shikon shard she had. And though the two openly admitted hating each other they found themselves sparring in the dojo with Juutsuma at the far end of the grounds, each curious about another hanyou's power.  
  
Miroku when not with the others had taken an interest in the various things in the taiyoukai's library and the potions and other concotions about the alchemy lab. Sango was also interested in the potions, being a youkai exterminator involved many such things used to lure out or paralyze youkai. It need not be said that Miroku was quite happy to be spending time with Sango.  
  
Kagome spent a good deal of her time with Shippo and Rin, though every once in a while the female youkai would hijack the "kaWAiiii little kit." Kagome also spent allot of time wondering about Yuki's sanity not to mention the dreams.  
  
Speaking of dreams....  
  


***

  
  
He stood behind her, once again she absorbed herself into his warmth. One of his arms was across her shoulders, the other was currently stroking her arm. Her head lolled to one side in contentment as a soft sigh escaped her lips. "You have no idea do you Blue Moon?" He had taken to calling her that as it was the closest thing he had to a name for her.  
  
"mmm?"  
  
"How much I want..." He leaned over slightly and whispered huskily in her ear, "You have no idea how much I want to see you for real. To touch you," He burried his face in her hair briefly, inhaling. He could not really distinguinsh her scent, he just knew he liked it. "To smell you even." He kissed where her neck and shoulder met, she shivered slightly. Slowly his hand moved from her arm against her stomach, pushing between the folds in her nemaki. She gasped as his warm hand came in contact with her stomach. "I just wish so much for some physical sign of you. A strand of hair, a stray scent, a touch of warmth on my hand..." His other hand found his way beneath the folds of her collar, his palm splayed out on her chest so that his thumb rested between her collar bones.  
  
She moaned slightly as the hand on her chest moved up and began to gently caressing her neck and face. While the other almost tickled her side, his hand flexing like cat flexing its nails in and out. His fingers barely touched as they crossed her lips. He placed a few feather light kisses on her neck and cheek. "I never thought before in my life that I would want something so simple this much."  
  
"I.. I want to see you too."  
  
He grinned, "At least we are in agreement." He turned her around in his arms, darkness descending before either could make out a single feature. It did not matter for the moment. Wraping his hands around her waist he lifted her off the ground, her head ending up higher than his. She laughed in joyous surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck, before she could say another word he pulled her head down and kissed her passionately.  
  


***

  
  
Sesshoumaru awoke with a start, _WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!_ Normally during his lucid dreaming he had been in complete control of himself. Aside fom instinctual hints as to what could end the dream everything had been normal, but this.. this was well. He had been... lustful. The dreams had never been so heated as that, though he would admit it was still somewhat tame, like the beginnings of seduction. He shook his head vigorously but he could not dispel the feeling of her lips on hi- _Chikusho!_   
  
He looked over himself in the dark, for the first time noticing he was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. Nothing like the cold sweat of a nightmare. _It's just from the summer heat_, he told himself.  
  
_Are you sure?_ a voice taunted in his head.  
  
_What else would it be?_  
  
_Well there is another kind of heat,_ the voice said wryly. Sesshoumaru mentally and violently slapped the voice, and somehow he had felt it. He scowled, wrapping the sheet around his waist he walked out onto his balcony. He sighed into the wind, "Where the hell are you?" He immediately cursed himself for sounding so wistful.  
  
_Don't worry about it, it's not like anyone knows you're like this right now.. except me. _Sesshoumaru seriously debated pummeling the voice even if he did feel it.  
  


***

  
  
Kagome's eyes shot open, her cheeks heating the second she awoke. _Whoa._ She pulled the nemaki closer around around herself. _That was... Omigod!_ She squealed slightly and burried her head in her pillow in embarrassment. Her mind raced as passages from romance novels and even a few selected scenes from anime flashed across her memory. Of course these thoughts only made her face grow redder. _Omigodomigodomigodomigod._ Despite her embarassment however she could not hide the smile pulling on the corners of her lips. _I wonder how it would have gone if I didn't wake up?_ She paused before realizing what she just thought. She sat up like a spring "EEP!" _When did I get such a dirty mind!?_ By now her face _must_ have been glowing.  
  
She shook her head and walked over to the open window, resting her elbows on the sill. She looked up at the moon, it was in the same half-lit state it was in from the last time she had been here. A breeze blew by and she caught the sight of something catch the silver light of moon in the corner of her eye. She looked over to the left and up, seeing Sesshoumaru on his balcony. _What's he doing up?_ she wondered resting her chin in one of her hands. _Well I suppose youkai don't need to sleep, at least not as much as humans..._ she thought remembering how Tanuki stayed up on watch the whole night even after Inu Yasha had fallen asleep. _What if-_ She slammed her palms on the sill and straightened up. _UH-UH!! No way!_ She turned away from the window. _Kami girl, you must really be loosing it if you thought that was ever possible!_  
  


***

  
  
_Damn all this psychic static!_ Yuki grumbled. "I can't sleep like this!" She threw off the sheet and got off the futon. _Honestly I can't believe those two are so stupid!_ Yuki sighed and shook her head. _I'm surprised Sesshoumaru doesn't even know the power of the dagger, he's usually so diligent about these kinds of details. And he didn't accidently cut himself with it, the knife willingly cut him. It's edge is not so sharp and he is not so careless that he would do such a thing._ "-Hmph- she probably doesn't even have a clue as to what's going on."  
  


***

  
  
Sesshoumaru walked the halls of his castle again, on his way to check on Rin. He spotted Yuki in the hall, speaking with, of all people the monk. "...an air void really? That seems quite interesting."  
  
He grinned and shrugged, "Yes well it is not quite so much fun as it sounds."  
  
He approached the two stopping before them, "Yuki."  
  
"Oh Sesshie hello." Yuki smiled, while the monk succeded fairly well in hiding his amusement at the way she addressed him. "How can I help you?"  
  
Sesshoumaru was instantly annoyed, "First do not address I, Sesshoumaru, in such a fashion. Especially infront of these humans. Second have you seen Rin?"  
  
"She's in the center garden with Kagome-sama," Miroku answered. Sesshoumaru cast the monk a glare for speaking when not spoken to. But as opposed to repremanding him as he was technically a "guest" and not a servant, he simply nodded to him and continued down the hall.   
  
Yuki simply smiled and shook her head, "He is as moody as ever."  
  
Sesshoumaru scowled at this as he continued on his path. He did not like to be in this kind of mood when he was with Rin, his patience short. He stopped as he took his first step into the garden. Some distance behind Kagome was Rin, picking flowers with her back to him. But what caught his attention most was sitting atop the large boulder, upon which he himself often sat, there was the young miko. She was sitting so that he could see her profile, her eyes were closed as she idly hummed a tuneless song to herself. Butterflies were flittering about her as she swayed slightly.   
  
Though her singing voice was not exactly perfect it was a beautiful tune she was singing, hauntingly so. The song was almost sad, and yet contented, happy but sorrowful. He stood silently and listened for a bit. It was amazing, moments ago he was extremely annoyed at the situations as they stood, but now... Now it was all washed into the back of his mind, almost like rain washing over the landscape. _Spring rain..._, he thought, remembering that as half her scent, then the other half, _and cherry blossoms_.  
  
The peaceful moment was soon disrupted though, though not unwelcomed as it was Rin's happy cry that did it. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" she cried happily running over to her guardian wrapping her arms around his knees marking his white pants with a few smudges of dirt. Kagome's eyes had bolted open at the cry. As she turned to see him she noticed he was looking straight at her. His face very similar to his stoic mask, but he seemed more...  
  
Happy?  
  
No she wouldn't go so far as to classify it as happy, "peaceful" was more like it, as though for a moment he was content with his surroundings. _But why is he looking at ME like that?_ She was relieved when the golden orbs left her and went to the child around his legs. Though his expression did not change his eyes visibly softened as he looked down at the child smiling up at him. Kagome couldn't help herself, she had to smile at the scene before her.  
  
Feeling Kagome's eyes on him Sesshoumaru crouched down next to Rin, whispering something to her quietly so that the miko could not hear. The child giggled, nodded and ran out of the garden. Kagome suddenly felt very uneasy, not knowing what mood to expect her youkai host to be in this time. It seemed everytime she saw him his attitude changed. He was never the same Sesshoumaru she had run into the time before. With of course, the exception that he was almost always cocky and arrogant in her eyes. Just the day before he had threatened her, saying that if any harm came to Rin while under her care... He had left it that, but she was sure a slow and painful death would be involved, if not more than one.  
  
Sesshoumaru did not know why he had sent Rin off, after all his orginal purpose was to come check on her, and he only sent her off in search of her kit friend. "You sing quiet well." He said almost cordially.  
  
"Ehh... I don't really think so," she responded truthfully, getting off the boulder.  
  
"Well you were not bad." he saved waving a hand as though dispelling her modesty. "What was it?"  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"The song."  
  
She shook her head, "I was just making it up as I went along, I probably couldn't even recall it now if I tried."  
  
"I see.. pity. It was quite beautiful." For some reason she got the impression that he was not just talking about the song. He noticed her unease and allowed an amused smirk to grace his features.  
  
For some reason Kagome was suddenly unable to deal with this constant lack of consistency in his attitude. "Kami make up your mind already!" Kagome yelled in frustration. Sesshoumaru simply raised a confused brow at her. "You try to kill me and Inu Yasha for the past five months, then you kidnap me, then you heal me, then you kill me, bring me back to life, KISS me, try to seduce me, THEN pretend like nothing happend! Then you invite me here, show up in the middle of the night, talk to me, then threaten me, then act like we're friends, threaten me AGAIN yesterday and NOW you're talking to me like we've know each other forever! Will you just PICK ONE GODDAMN MOOD AND GO WITH IT!!!"  
  
"Pardon?" He asked calmly secretly enjoying her little rampage with the exception of his partially ringing ears. "And I did not invite you. Rin did."  
  
"arrrRRGHHH! I can't believe you! You're as indescisive, moody, and impossible as Inu Yasha!"  
  
His eyes widened then narrowed quickly and before she knew it Kagome was up against a tree. The youkai's hands held the sides of her shoulders tight, suspending her off the ground so that her face was level with his. She had gasped when her back and head came in contact with the trunk, but more out of surprise than pain. Her face paled considerably when her eyes met dangerously narrowed golden ones inches from her own. "Do not ever compare me to that worthless hanyou brother of mine!" He growled.  
  
She regained some composure, a bit of color returning as she spoke back, her voice far calmer than his had just been. "What disturbs you most Sesshoumaru-san? That Inu Yasha's mother was human, that he's your brother, or that, deep down you actually care about him and are more like him then you want to admit?"  
  
A low rumble escaped from his throat, he backed away far enough to pull her away from the tree and shove her against it again. "I do not." he growled, the words barely descernable. He didn't know what angered him more, her words, or the sudden calm and lack of fear she was displaying.  
  
She winced as her head snapped back and hit the tree again. "Well denile isn't just a river in Egypt," she said before realizing the surprised expression on his face. "Nani?"  
  
Wordlessly he dropped her and stepped back a few steps. She easily landed on her feet, Kagome would later be completely frustrated at yet another major mood swing she witnessed but right now she was just confused. Meanwhile Sesshoumaru's mind was screaming at him. When he slammed her up against the tree the second time her hair had shifted, revealing a navy blue mark on her forehead, though he had not seen the whole shape it could concieveably be a cresant moon. _It can't be her! There's no way that this woman-child is her!_ She gazed back at him with confused eyes. _But Tsukinoshi's mark was a red sword through a moon... and her's is blue now..._ His mind was haltingly slow in trying to digest this information, as though he would not believe it.  
  
He had not realized his hand was reaching out towards her to brush her bangs aside until he noticed her step off to the side of the tree. "Is it.. you?" he almost whispered.  
  
"Nani? NOW what are you talking about?"  
  
"blue moon," it was barely audible but Kagome's face paled more than before.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama! Sesshoumaru-sama!"  
  
Immediately composed the taiyoukai turned to his retainer, "What is it Jaken?"  
  
"The messengar from the council is here!"  
  
"Send him to the audience chamber, I will be there shortly."  
  
"hai!"  
  
"And Jaken."  
  
"Yes Sesshoumaru-sama?"  
  
A rock went flying through the air into the toad's head, "Be more careful not to interrupt me in the future."  
  
When the toad left he looked back to Kagome who apparently had a hand on the tree for support. As soon as his eyes met hers she made a mad dash inside. He allowed her to get about halfway, amazed at the speed she had gained, before persuing. He grabbed one arm and turned her around pushing her against the wall in the alcove between indoors and the garden. His hands once again found themselves on her shoulders. "You will not get away from this conversation so easily." He whispered in an odd way that sounded threatening as well as desperate.  
  
She simply stared up at him with frightened eyes that were much more blue than normal. How he knew that little detail was beyond him. She swallowed loudly before suddenly breathing again, until then she had not noticed that she had not been breathing. Her scent enveloped him as he was so close that his nose was nearly touching hers. Somehow her scent had not been tainted by the limited youki she now had, but it was only sweetend by it. _Spring rain and cherry blossoms_, the thought ran through his mind over and over again so fast he was barely aware he was even thinking it. She smelled so sweet, and with his mind muddled by being wrapped in her scent he felt the urge to see if she tasted the same.  
  
Kagome's mind on the other hand was nearly blank. But somewhere she was registering his scent. It was less... rough than Inu Yasha's, almost soft but not delicate either.   
  
Strong. It was strong.   
  
But not in the sense that his scent was overpowering, but in a way that displayed how powerful he was. How... dependable he could be, his inner strentgh. It was almost like a large and imposing forest after a heavy rain when even the least fragant of plants could be smelled in the newly cleaned air. And there was... something else, a hint of the ocean. It reminded her of strong waves pounding relentlessly against the rocks sending beautiful sprays of white foam up into the air. White.. like his hair and tail...  
  
Her heart beat wildly in her chest, it assaulted her ears as much as it did his, and it was driving him up the wall. He moved forward slightly and she flinched. Barely getting a hold of himself he pushed his head to the side next to her head. She gasped as his cheek past hers separated by only a hair's breadth. He failed in resisting the urge to smell her hair and nuzzle his face into it. "Are you her?" he whispered in a low and husky voice. "Are you my blue moon?"   
  
She gasped louder. _Oh no, oh no, oh no. It can't be him! Why does it have to be him!_ She didn't know why but the prospect frightened her. Maybe because she hoped _he_ would have been normal. Maybe because Sesshoumaru was Inu Yasha's brother, maybe because she didn't know how much longer the well would work, maybe because this was Sesshoumaru. Or maybe, just maybe she was just afriad to love.   
  
Being what he was her fear excited him on another level, while he was already burning to kiss her. He could feel his youkai blood burning, racing through his veins, demanding an action. _"Kiss her. Bite her, Throw her on down and take her!"_ It seemed to scream. But somewhere deep inside a quiet voice whispered _"love her."_ This softest voice, was the loudest, and somehow effectivly slapped him into realizing his actions and current position.   
  
Sesshoumaru pulled back to look into her eyes, boring his searing and searching amber gaze into her cerulean eyes. She was almost in complete shock, her eyes were wide open in what he could best describe as fear with his current limited mind functions. She probably hadn't even blinked. He highly doubted that she could even speak a single word right now, much less answer his question. Carefully, slowly he released his grasp on her shoulders, he winced inwardly when he realized he had probably bruised her, his grip had been so tight, it must have become moreso when he was trying to regain conrtol of himself. Slowly cautiously he backed away a step, then another, he was convinced that any sudden movement would definitely startle the young miko.  
  
"We will talk of this later," he said quietly, and even though it was barely audible and quite gentle she jumped at the sound of his voice. He whispered something else and turned, slowly walking away.  
  


***

  
  
_I can't believe it!_ Sesshoumaru's mind raced furiously, _I nearly lost control back there with Inu Yasha's wo- with Kagome. It can't possibly be her!_ He stopped in the hall, _could it? By the gods it had better not be,_ he took another two steps before stopping again. _But what if? No one, NO ONE has ever caused me to.._ his mind searched for the words, _react that way. And she wasn't even trying! Kuso why did this have to happen now! Why her? Why now? That cursed messenger just HAD to come today._ He stopped outside the door to the audience chamber, he wasn't even aware he had started walking again. He paused and took a few deep breaths, there would be more than enough time to think on this later.  
  


***

  
  
Kagome had not moved from her spot, her hand now rest on her chest and she stared blankly at the floor. Her chest heaved as she was breathing deeply, somewhere in her currently tattered mind she wondered if she was hyperventalating. The fear had subsided somewhat as she was now mostly in shock.  
  
Suddenly her hanyou companion popped up in her face "Hey Kagome!"  
  
"YAAAAHHH!!" She screamed and lashed out on reflex slaming the poor unwitting Inu Yasha into the other side of the alcove. "What the #@^% was that for!?"  
  
"ahh.. sorry Inu Yasha.. you startled me that's all," quite frankly Kagome was surprised she had even found her voice, much less was able to construct a sentence.  
  
"Why are you breathin' like that?"  
  
"Ahhh... umm.. Like I said you scared me, and before that I was chasing Rin around." Wow.. she didn't know how she managed to come up with a lie either.  
  
"You sure you're ok?"  
  
"Yeah.. I uhh... I'm just gonna go take a bath. Ja Inu Yasha." As she walked off she couldn't help thinking of what Sesshoumaru had said to her. _"I have frightened you... forgive me."  
  
Forgive me..._ Kami why was it echoing in her mind?  
  
_Forgive me..._  
  
Probably because she had seen his eyes... and he meant it  
  


***

  
  
Back in the hall Inu Yasha wondered why he could still smell his brother in the air by the alcove. But the hanyou simply dismissed it thinking, _Well it is HIS castle of course his scent would be around._  
  
------------------------  
**nemaki-** sleep-wear: I'm not exactly sure what it consists of, but in this case it's a light sleeping robe K?  
  
**Omigod-** "Oh my god" said so quickly that it appears as a single word, often said in repitition w/o spaces.   
  
**Ja-** Kinda like "see you later" shorter than "ja mata" or "ja ne"  
  
**Hikachan:** I know I know, I'm evil for leaving it like that aren't I? And No, Sess didn't actually kiss Kagome.... YET!  
As far as the song I had that one tune from Inu Yasha in mind. You know that one with the chick humming and stuff? I think one of the tracks with that on it is called "Kagome and Inu Yasha" but I'm not sure... 


	5. The Power Of Denile

I don't own them  
If I did I'd be rich  
you know that I don't  
So don't be a b-... errr jerk ^_^'  
  


**Once In A Blue Moon**  
An Inu Yasha Fanfic by Hika-chan  
Chapter 5: The Power of Denile

  
  
_Something is definitely going on,_ Inu Yasha thought. At first he thought nothing of Kagome's behavior when he startled her earlier, but now that he though of it she did seem more jumpy than usual. Considering that they were normally under threat of attack by youkai and she was much calmer, even in battle, well he had to wonder. _I wonder..._ He took a moment and sniffed the air, as before he could pick up his brother's scent, but it wasn't as potent as it had been around Kagome earlier. Inu Yasha stopped, _wait a second... _He thought back to the last time they were here, when they were leaving Kagome had been in a similar state, but this time she did seem kind of... scared? Inu Yasha bristled, _You bastard Sesshoumaru, I swear if you hurt Kagome I'll-._   
  
He cut himself off as some part of his memory caught up with him. There was something familiar about her actions, something he had seen even before their last visit to his brother's castle. She always acts that way when- Inu Yasha's face paled, _When we almost get too close.No way! Sesshoumaru would never go for Kagome like that! He's probably just doing it out of some sadistic sense of humor. Bastard I'll teach him for toying with Kagome like that! There's no way he actually LIKES her.  
  
Why not?_ a little voice in his head said,_ You like her, and you never thought you would.  
  
What the *#^@ are you talking about!? This is Sesshoumaru!_ Inu Yasha yelled back.  
  
_Yes, but this is also Kagome. She's a very special person you know that._  
  
The hanyou almost growled, _And who the hell are you?_  
  
He heard the voice chuckle, _Wow you are thick aren't you?  
  
WHAT!? You better not show your face pal or I'll-  
  
You'll what? beat yourself up?  
  
What the hell is that supposed to mean!?!_  
  
The voice sighed, _Come along now, you can't honestly be this stupid._  
  
Inu Yasha was about to yell at the voice again when a shrill cry echoed through the hall. "Inu-Chan!! Where are you?"  
  
Inu Yasha cringed as his sensitive ears were assaulted by his older half sisters call. _That's right, I was gonna beat the crap out of Sesshoumaru, maybe Yuki can tell me where he is._ "Over here Aneeue," he said reluctantly not really wanting to call his older sister over but finding no choice in it.  
  
"There you are Inu-chan! How are you?"  
  
"Umm.. ok I guess."  
  
"Just ok?"  
  
"Yeeeaaah..." he said slowly, it wasn't like 'ok' was a bad place to be. "Hey Aneeue do you know where Sesshoumaru is?" Yuki was completely taken aback by this question, she walked over and put a hand on Inu Yasha's forehead. "What?"  
  
"Are you alright Inu-chan? You don't normally go looking for Sesshie."  
  
"Yeah well today I wanna know, I need to have a little 'chat' with big bro."  
  
"Oh my, what about?" _Though I can take a guess._  
  
"Look do you know where he is or not?" He asked carefully keeping his voice calm, had it been anyone other than Yuki he would let himself yell already. But Yuki did not take kindly to that kind of thing.  
  
"Well since it doesn't look like you're going to tell me. He's speaking with a messengar from the council now." She grasped his arm before he took two steps toward the room he knew they must be in. Her voice was much more serious and concerned than usual. "Inu Yasha, for the sake of our family and our father please wait till the meeting is over with."  
  
The hanyou sighed, knowing better than to disagree with her, "Alright. I won't embarrass our family. But the second that messengar is out of sight his ass is mine."  
  
Yuki shook her head as she watched her half brother's form retreat down the hall. She had passed Kagome in the hall some fifteen minutes ago on her way to the bath. The miko-girl was obviously frazzled before she bothered to ask how she was doing. And Yuki being a full blooded youkai had a better sense of smell than Inu Yasha and a much nosier attitude had picked up some smells that Inu Yasha failed to register. Or, more than likely, refused to recognize.  
  
~~~  
She had been idly rubbing her shoulder, eyes down cast as she was currently undergoing some kind of mental and/or emotional turmoil. The girl seemed so distracted that Yuki allowed her to run into her. Kagome had immediately and profusly apologized before she started to head off again towards the bath. "Kagome-chan are you alright?"  
  
Her aura flared breifly with panic and embarrassment, "Of course I am why wouldn't I be?"  
  
Yuki stepped a bit closer and sniffed the air before her, "Well you smell..." _like Sesshoumaru._ "a little nervous." She sniffed again, _he was very close and.. aroused?_ The thought was a bit distateful to Yuki, not because Kagome was human, but because Sesshoumaru was her brother. "And a bit scared."  
  
Kagome laughed nervously, "But Yuki-san what do I have to fear here? I'm fine really I'm just gonna take a nice hot bath." They looked at each other in silence for a few moments, making the miko uneasy. "...Well umm.. anyway I uh... I'm gonna go." She turned to leave  
  
"Oh one thing Kagome-chan have you seen Sesshoumaru about?" not that she didn't already know she just wanted to see how the girl would react.  
  
The school girl froze and Yuki watched her swirling aura as the nervous fear and embarrassment showed again. "No... I uh, I haven't"  
  
"Alright then!" Yuki said cheerfully, "Enjoy your bath Kagome-chan."  
~~~  
  
Thinking back on the encounter she shook her head. _Really brother, you should have displayed more control... not to mention tact._ She couldn't say for certain what had happened but she had a pretty damn good idea just by the girl's reaction.  
  


***

  
  
The black haired dog youkai stormed down the hall furiously. Those old geezers on the council had agreed to let that damned Sesshoumaru become Lord of the Western Lands! Kuroinu scowled, he knew full well that Inutaisho's son had little trust for him. It was highly unlikely that he would be able to retain his position once Sesshoumaru took control.  
  
Though Inutaisho's brother, and acting ruler, was a powerful youkai in his own right, he was not the best leader. In fact due to his advisory position Kuroinu was the one who was really making all the decisions. Once Inutaisho's son took over he would loose all that. Not only that but word was that Sesshoumaru had taken a liking to humans. Humans! Those filthy little beasts that were no better than cattle! He even travelled with a human girl-child. Not to mention he had heard from trusted sources that he had spared an older human female as well. It looked like Sesshoumaru was going to follow in his father's footsteps. To make a human the Lady of the Western Lands (even though the title held little power if any) was blasphemous. Kuroinu growled as he opened the door to his chambers, he would retain his power, one way or another. 

***

  
  
This day was turning out better and better for Hikaru. For starters Inu Yasha wasn't bugging her, and now this wonderful bath. She could feel the tension ease out through her skin as she soaked in the deliciously warm water. A few minutes earlier she had almost allowed herself to become annoyed when the miko girl came into the bath. But since she had just sat at the otherside of the bath quietly and did not try to talk to her, it was ok.  
  
She opened her red eyes and examined the girl as she wet her face. While hawk youkai were not known for their sense of smell like that of dogs, their eyesight was impeccable. Her eyes picked up the slight trembling in the girl's form as she tried to calm herself. Her eyes turned to her shoulders where brusies were begining to form. She could take a guess at what happened, even though she would have been wrong.  
  
Kagome looked up at the girl across from her, her wings were gone and her hair was no longer feathers but actual hair, though still black and streaked with red. "Ano... what happened to your wings?"  
  
Hikaru shrugged, she supposed she could manage some conversation after all. "I can manage limited transformation, but as you can see the markings on my face and my talons do not go away." _And of course my healing does not go as quickly as a hanyou that cannot,_ she thought, not wanting to share that bit of information.  
  
"Hmm.. I wonder why Inu Yasha can't do that."  
  
"My mother was human, but she had some level of power, father has told me that it is because of her Nataku and I can do such things."  
  
"Nataku?"  
  
"My older brother, he is hanyou as well."  
  
"I see..." the two sat in silence for a minute or two before Kagome spoke again. "Hikaru-san?.. umm I got the impression that you don't like humans very much-"  
  
"Correction, I don't like stupid, ignorant humans." She interrupted. "Since you and your friends travel with a hanyou and are welcome here I gather you are not so close minded as to hate a youkai for being youkai."  
  
Kagome smiled, "Yeah normally we don't do anything unless they attack us first."  
  
Hikaru grinned at the girl, "But you attack hanyou's without warning?"  
  
Kagome blushed and laughed nervously, "Sorry about that. Inu Yasha tends to get a bit overexcited when it comes to shikon shards."  
  
"I noticed."  
  
"Hikaru-san?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"You don't have to answer this, and I hope I'm not being terribly rude for asking. But is there a reason you don't like humans?"  
  
She looked across the pool at the not quite human girl. "Yes," she said. Without going into detail she got out of the bath and dressed before leaving. "It was nice talking to you Kagome-san." She walked down the hall to her room, trying to forget the memories that were begining to surface, the circumstances of her mother's death. She reached her room and paused before opening the door. Looking at the frame she could see that the door had been broken and replaced, she shrugged it off. Just about to open the door she was stopped when she heard her name called rudely. "What?" she asked, turning to the other hanyou.  
  
"You wanna spar?" Inu Yasha asked. Sesshoumaru was taking far too long and he needed to blow off some steam.  
  
A grin spread across her face, it would certainly take her mind off the past memories that were trying to seep into her mind. "Sure, just gimme a second to get dressed."  
  


***

  
  
Kagome sighed as she was left alone in the bath. She hoped she hadn't offened Hikaru. Between what she had heard of Inu Yasha and Jinenji's childhoods she knew that growing up a hanyou was very rough. But talking to the hanyou girl, even though it was a breif as it was, had taken her mind off the incident not too long ago. _It's not him._ she told herself remembering the name she told herself she didn't hear. _It's not._  
  
---------------------------------------  
ohhh plot development...  
Yeah yeah I know... Kuroinu ="black dog" (i think) I'm just feeling lazy with names right now so you'll have to deal with it sorry.  
Jinenji is from episode ..... 31 I think. he's another hanyou Kagome and Inu Yasha met.  
  
**Next chapter**- Inu Yasha and Hikaru spar and the dreamscape gets a little scary.   
I'll try and see about getting Miroku, Sango, Rin and Shippo in here sometime... really I swear. And I will bring up Hikaru's past, I just want to wait a bit first (hee hee hee)  



	6. It's A Coincidence I Swear!

You know Inu Yasha I don't own,  
So don't go calling me on the phone  
I don't claim then, so please don't sue  
I'll only end up more more broke if you do  
  
-Well since someone Acutally HIT me (see the reviews for details)I made sure to get to work on this one, which wasn't too hard considering that I ended the last chapter was done kinda quickly. Besides some of this stuff was gonna be in the last chapter before I remembered I had other characters in the story other than Kagome and Sesshoumaru! ::apologizes to the rest of the IY gang, Rin, Yuki, and Hikaru... doesn't really care about Jaken:: And I could barely belive I didn't put any fluffy goodness in the last chapter!! Don't worry Fluffy fans! More cute and pensive Fluffy this chapter!!  
  


**Once in a Blue Moon**  
An Inu Yasha Fanfic By Hika-chan  
Chapter 6: It's A Coincidence I Swear!

  
  
Inu Yasha stood across from the other hanyou who was still in her wingless form, as they decided to do this as equally as possible, since her wings were suitable weapons. Their weapons lay off to the side against the wall, and like their blades they remembered to try and only use fists, no claws or talons. She had a more balanced and trained fighting stance than he did, obviously she had recieved a great deal more formal training than Inu Yasha had. That was fine with him though, it'd be interesting to see if training made one a better fighter than wild endless fighting. They stood in silence a moment, a good twenty feet from each other, before Inu Yasha charged in.  
  
Hikaru easily dodged the wild punch, pulling his wrist down slightly before jumping away. The pull had caused the dog hanyou to tilt towards the floor, his palms met the ground and he pushed his body towards the hawk, kicking feet first. As he flew towards her sideways, she stepped to his back, turning her body as it ran along his back. He failed to catch her by hooking his leg back but managed to grab her arm, slowing him dramatically but also pulling her towards him. He went to punch her the second his feet touched the ground, but she flipped backwards, her feet kicking against his chest as the movement forced him to lose his hold on her. He was not completely unrewarded though as his fist did make some contact against her back.  
  
Her kick had sent him sliding back a few feet. They stopped and looked at each other for an instant, each having landed in a crouch, before they burst into motion again. The battle went on for a few minutes, before Inu Yasha caught the other hanyou in a hold. Standing behind her one arm was wrapped around her neck while the other held one of her arms behind her back. Both were breathing a little heavier than normal."You yeild?" He asked grinning.   
  
"nuh-uh," she said thrusting her free arm back for an elbow strike. Somehow Inu Yasha took advantage of the move and was able to swiftly grab her other wrist into the same hand.  
  
"Now do you yeild?" He surpressed the urge to growl, reminding himself that this was a sparring match, not a real battle.  
  
"For now." She said and he let her go. She stepped away a few feet, rubbing her neck. Inu Yasha took the opportunity to get a look at her "battle gear" It was similar to Sango's exterminator outfit, form fitting black with occasional designs of red and white. "Best two out of three?" She asked grinning, "I gaurantee that you won't get me the same way twice."  
  
He smiled and nodded. Inu Yasha had been right to do this sparring thing, so right in fact that he had completely forgotten about going to fight with Sesshoumaru.  
  


***

  
  
As much as he didn't want to Sesshoumaru decided to leave Kagome alone for now. He wanted to give her time to calm down. But should he try to talk to her again today? He would have to leave tomorrow for his father's castle in the morning maybe? Could he wait that long? What about tonight? He paused their track record for nightly meetings might not put her in the best frame of mind for that. Dammit! He had never been so unsure of anything before in his life and it was likely to drive him insane! He paused as he past an opening to the grassy would be garden that filled the area between the castle and surrounding wall. There Rin and Shippo were chasing each other as always under Sango and Miroku's supervision.  
  
_She's not watching Rin anymore?  
The monk was about to answer when he was slapped by the huntress. It took a moment for Sesshoumaru to realize that Miroku's hand had been in contact with her rear. "I think Yuki-sama said something about Inu Yasha sparring and Kagome-chan taking a bath."  
  
Almost immediately Sesshoumaru was forced to hold back memories of the night Sesshoumaru had nursed Kagome and subsequently bathed with her. Though nothing had happened because the bath was (thankfully) large, he almost smiled remembering her shy modesty. "hmmm.. I wonder if Kagome-sama needs any help?" Miroku mused.  
  
The taiyoukai's eyes narrowed, and a low growl emitted from his throat, but it soon faded as, surprisingly, Sango's growl began to drown out his own. Sesshoumaru watched, equally surprised as amused as Sango beat the hapless monk with her weapon and yelled something about him being a lecherous monk. Breathing heavily the huntress turned to a somewhat bored looking Shippo, who had obviously seen this kind of thing before and a bewildered Rin.  
  
"Why did you do that Sango-oneechan?"  
  
"That, Rin-chan," Sango began, "Is how you deal with a perverted houshi."  
  
Sesshoumaru simply shook his head and decided to go to his study for now. __Talking to Kagome now is definitely out of the question._ He told himself as though he had not already come to that conclusion.  
  


***

  
  
Feeling refreshed and wearing a clean change of clothes Kagome walked aimlessly down the halls of Sesshoumaru's castle. She slowed when she reached an area, smelling old parchment, sniffing around a bit (and quite pleased with her ability to do so) she stopped at a door and carefully slid it open. Unlike the bedrooms and other important chamber doors most of the "public" rooms had shogi for doors, so she found no harm in entering. As she suspected she had found the library. Kagome smiled, she had always love to read stories, hopefully there would be some good ones in here. She stepped inside carefully picking through a few scrolls and books before choosing one at random.  
  
She sat down on the floor leaning against the wall beneath a window in the far corner as she opened the book and began reading. She had always loved mythology, (it wasn't her fault her grandfather managed to make it sound boring) but considering that this was a youkai's library she wasn't sure if it was myth or history . She was so engrosed in the story of the first tiger youkai coming to japan and some of their adventures that she had not noticed another enter the room.  
  
He had come to look for something... He knew he had been looking for some book or scroll that he did not normally keep in his private study. He had come for something to do with... ummm... He had forgotten the moment he caught wiff of her scent. He stood at the doorway for several seconds wondering if it was a blessing or a curse, before then spending even longer trying to decide wheter or not he should enter. _She hasn't noticed me yet?That's odd even she should have been able to smell me by now._ Curious he walked into the room looking between bookcases as he walked past. _Surely she would have said something if she noticed me._ Finally he stopped upon seeing her, it only took a second for him to decide to spy on her for a bit. Ducked behind the book case he watched her as she was obviously engrossed in the story. Eagerly she turned the page, he allowed a little smile to touch his lips when he heard her whisper a triumphant "yes!" as something good had happened in the story. He stood there, silently watching her for eight pages before finally deciding to speak to her. "Kagome."  
  
"Hold on a sec," she said quietly, not even acknowledging who was there. "Just lemme finish this paragraph." Sesshoumaru surprised himself when infact, he did. "Wow this is a really good story you know that?" She said standing and stretching. He plucked the book from her grasp and looked at the cover, his eyes widened imperceptively. "What?" she asked as he continued to stare at the book.  
  
"This is the book I came to get." He said factually.  
  
Kagome shrugged, "I picked one at random, it's just a coincidence."  
  
He turned his gaze up to her, eyes narrowed slightly, "How is it you could read this?"  
  
Putting her hands on her hips the school girl huffed, "Look just 'cause I'm female and human doesn't mean I can't read."  
  
"That's not what I meant," he said holding the book out to her again, "This book is not written in the human language."  
  
Kagome blinked and looked at the cover again before opening it and looking through a few pages. Only now did she realize that it was not what she would have called Japanese. She had been wondering why she hadn't stumbled over any old kanji. The reason was there wasn't any! "Ano... coincidence?" She said unsure as she turned her eyes up to Sesshoumaru again.  
  
"More like side effect," he corrected. _But is it from Tsukinoshi or something else?_ he wondered.   
  
"Huh... that's funny because I know I didn't know what that psycho knew when she was in my head so how did I-"  
  
"Kagome..."  
  
"Eh? Nani?"  
  
"We need to talk."  
  
_Well that was blunt, what about?_ Kagome stared at him a moment, before the incident from before came rushing back to her, how she had managed to forget it that completely was beyond her. _Oh.. that._ However now that she remembered it, she was already nervous again. "I uhh.. I don't want to right now."  
  
"I can understand that, but I need to leave tomorrow for my father's castle," He explained carefully keeping his voice neutral. Her scent was seriously starting to get to him, it really messed with his concentration. "That only leaves us tonight and early tomorrow morning. I want to do this before I leave."  
  
Kagome was once again a bit unnerved. Talk she could understand but do what exactly? She certainly hoped she was just referring to the talk. She brought one hand up, rubbing her other arm as she thought. "Send someone to wake me at dawn, I'll meet you in the garden." He smiled inwardly, that is exactly the place he would have chosen, though perhaps not the time. Oh well it gave him plenty of time to think on what to say at least. He nodded slowly and turned to leave. "Sesshoumaru-san?" He stopped and turned towards her, she held out the book, "Didn't you want this?"  
  
He looked at the book and then back at her, allowing his expression to soften ever so slightly, "I can read it anytime," he said simply and walked out. Kagome stood there looking at the spot where she had seen him dissapear around a book case. Suddenly she wasn't so sure wheter or not she wanted her dream companion to be Sesshoumaru.  
  


***

  
  
It was the third round now, going on five minutes and neither hanyou seemed to be able to get the upper hand. Hikaru had won the second round by pinning Inu Yasha to the ground, using a pressure point to keep him down. While Inu Yasha had strength, Hikaru had tactics. The main problem she suffered was that getting the stronger opponent into a submissive position was somewhat complicated. She had to hit the right spots and get him into the right circumstances so that she could execute it.  
  
Inu Yasha on the other hand had the problem primarily lie in a lack of dicipline. He swung wildly, usually not thinking more than two swings ahead. Hikaru on the other hand thought roughly four steps ahead, but kept in mind several different options, anticipating different possible reactions to her attacks.  
  
Somehow, without her expecting it Inu Yasha managed to blind side her, resulting in her being pinned to the ground beneath him, his hands on her shoulders. "I win," He grinned.  
  
"Not quite." Jabbing two fingers into his torso Inu Yasha was thrown off long enough for Hikaru to push him back and break free. "Really Inu Yasha, you should have known to hold my hands down at least," she grinned, "You're just lucky I didn't take advantage of my legs being between yours, since this is just a friendly sparring session after all."  
  


***

  
  
The night was long in coming as Sesshoumaru tried to decide who to take with him to the castle and who to leave behind to take care of things here. When he finally lay down to sleep he wondered what to expect of his dreams.  
  


***

  
  
He found her on the non-existent landscape, in a dream where everything was black save each other and some cherry blossoms floating on the breeze. Her back was to him, her midnight hair coming down to the middle of her back. "Blue Moon?" he asked, it was different that he actually had to seek her out. "Kagome is that you? I did see you today didn't I Blue Moon?" He was answered with silence. "Are you going to answer me?" The anger he usually reserved for the waking moments seized him. "We can't ignore this. Just last night you admitted to wanting to see me and when you did you deny it?! Dammit Blue you can't ignore me like this!"  
  
"Love," she said as though it were a name, slowly turning her head halfway towards him. A mask was upon her face. _She's hiding from me._ And though he knew this he could tell by the calm in her voice that this was her unreal self, his Blue Moon was not asleep. "Forgive me, but we have not the time to speak of this."  
  
"This is the only time to talk about this!" He shouted, barely able to keep it to a low roar. "Now turn around and..." His voice trailed off as slowly she turned. Coiled around each arm was a hissing snake.  
  
"Forgive me, but there is no time now." The snakes bit into her wrists and blood began to fall onto the ground. "You are in danger."  
  
"Blue Moon... your hands..." Suddenly out the darkness a giant lizard, no a dragon came its mouth wide ready to devour her. "Blue!"  
  


***

  
  
"NO!" Sesshoumaru shot up in his bed, his left hand outstrecthed into the darkness. Slowly his hand came down to his side, his breathing ragged and his body drenched with sweat. He immediately checked the castle with his senses, he smelled no blood, all the youki that should be there was, for now that would have to do. He forced himself to calm down, breathing slowly and attempting to slow his racing heart. He brought a hand to his face. _What was that? Was it just a nightmare? Or did it mean something?_ He scowled at the thought, he hadn't had a nightmare since he was a pup. Throwing off the sheet he put on a robe, not caring of the time. _Yuki will know._  
  
He forced himself to walk through the halls and upon reaching the door to his sister's room, knocked loudly. "Yuki you have to five to cov-"  
  
"Come in," she interrupted.  
  
He opened the door sparing no room for pleasantries, "I have had a disturbing dream. I wish for you to tell me it's meaning."  
  
Yuki sighed, she had been knelt by the small table in the room, apparently drinking tea. She had a feeling someone would be interrupting her tonight so she hadn't bothered to go to sleep. Instead she was trying to figure out that damn reading tea leaves thing, she put down the cup, perhaps she should just stick to auras and what the other things she was already good at. "Alright then... tell me." Like dreams.  
  
Had he the inclination to care, Sesshoumaru would have noticed that his sister was quite intent upon his request. She may have acted like a flake most of the time, but could be serious when it came down to business. "I was speaking with a woman, who I've seen before. She would not answer my questions and said there was no time. I demanded she speak when she turned around, her face hidden by a mask and a snake around each arm. They bit her wrists as she told me I was in danger. Then a dragon, or a large lizard came from the darkness to eat her. I awoke before the strike."  
  
"You spoke with her before? You do not know who this woman is?"  
  
"I have never seen her face in previous dreams, no."  
  
Yuki waved a hand, "I'll be sure to ask about this woman later, but what concerns me most is the reptiles. Two snakes often means that there are people trying to decieve or trick you. That is almost certainly the danger she spoke of."  
  
Sesshoumaru huffed, he did not need a dream to be told that. He was about to become Lord of the Western Lands, it was obvious that something like that would happen, especially amoung youkai. "Anything else?"  
  
"Well the fact that another reptile attacked this woman suggests to me that she may be in danger as well."  
  
"What?" Sesshoumaru could feel his blood begin to boil, and his eyes started to show red.  
  
Calmly Yuki simply looked at him as though he had not reacted at all. "It seems to me that they will use this woman against you. Perhaps as bait." Yuki didn't even have to use her aura sight to know her brother was raging inside. In fact she didn't need any youkai attributes to tell that he was royally pissed. Aside from his blood red eyes his expression was neutral at first, but quickly his jaw was clenched his teeth bared and a low rumble escaped his throat. "You seem a bit tense Sesshou," she said sipping some tea and not looking at him, "I think you need to run outside and kill something."  
  
"Yuki..." He growled, barely able to sound understandable in his rage.  
  
She knew he wasn't growling at her, "hmmm?"  
  
"Keep guard while I'm gone."  
  
"Of course."  
  


***

  
  
It was late now, at least one in the morning. Normally that wouldn't be so much of a challenge, if one was in modern times anyway. The lack of electricity and other distracting modern items (such as TV) made staying up rather boring. She didn't want to see him tonight. Yes she did. No. Yes. She just didn't want to talk to him. She didn't want to think about it being _him_. She was slightly startled when she felt a surge if youki. Taking a moment to look out the window she saw the unmistakable form of a giant white dog in the garden as it lept out of the compound.  
  
Kagome sighed a sigh that ended in a yawn. Maybe if she just put her head down for a bit...  
  


***

  
  
Kagome found herself on a grassy hill overlooking a valley. Set against a mountain, on the opposite end of the valley was a grand castle. She didn't know how, but somehow she knew that the castle and it's rooms extended into the mountain. She gasped when a hand landed on her shoulder, turning her slightly. She stared mutely into eyes whose color she would forget upon wakening, along with anyother details she could see. He smiled and kissed the mark on her forehead. "And how are you tonight Blue?"  
  
Wordlessly Kagome threw her arms around his chest and nuzzled her face against him. Smiling affectionately he petted her head lightly, tangling only the tips of his fingers in her hair. "Just hold me," she whispered, she didn't want to talk. After a minute or so he pulled away a bit, using a hand to pull her chin up. For a moment she dreaded that he would say something, talk about what she didn't want to discuss. Instead he simply leaned down, placing a chaste kiss on her lips. She leaned into it happily, using it to wash her fears aside.  
  
"I must tell you one thing," he whispered after breaking the kiss. "There is danger. Someone seeks me as a target and I fear you may be found and used as bait."  
  
Her face contorted slightly with confusion. She surely did not like the idea of being bait but how would anyone know who she was if he didn't? "But how can they know about us?"  
  
He grinned softly, running a hand alongside her face. "Let's just say some people are more perceptive than you and I have been." She answered him with a soft laugh  
  


***

  
  
Sesshoumaru's feet pounded on the ground relentlessly. As the large white ghost of a dog ran the forest around him was silent, the creatures fearful of the anger they could sense from the taiyoukai in their home. _How dare anyone think to use Blue Moon against me!_ His mind raced, his anger boiling. His nose catching the scent of a centipeade youkai, one of the more primal variety. His instincts turned him in that direction without him even being aware of it. Hunting down the midless beast on pure instinct while his mind raged. Oh if anyone went through with such a plan they would surely pay. They would die many slow and painful deaths. No one touched what was his without consequence. Yes Blue Moon was his, it had taken him some time to come to accept that conclusion but once he decided there was no going back. And as soon as he found her he would do his best to make her believe that he belonged with her as much as she with him. _I swear if they even touch a hair on Kagome's hea-_ His thoughts came to a crashing halt. In his surprise he dropped the dead centipeade youkai from his mouth (he had killed it sometime in his thoughts though he could not place when.)  
  
Kagome...  
  
He had called her Kagome in his head.  
  
Not 'Blue Moon.'  
  
He almost grinned (which would be quite a feat in his full form). As his subconcious only affrimed the hypothesis he had previously come to.   
  
Kagome _WAS_ his blue moon.  
  
--------------------------------  
MUWAHAHAHAHA!! I'm gonna get the crap kicked out of me for leaving it like this aren't I? Oh well!!  
  
Hey yo- I would have had this chapter out sooner but as it turns out I *gasp* ACTUALLY GOT OUT OF THE HOUSE!! Yeah socializing... it's not as bad as I thought it would be.   
I don't know WHY I put in the library scene... I think I just like making Kagome squirm as much as Sesshoumaru does MWAHAHAHAHA!!!  
  
**Next chapter**: Kagome squirms (*glares* Get your minds out of the gutter,) and uhh.. I'm sure I'll think up more as I'm writing it.... 


	7. The Last To Know

You know I know I don't own IY  
I'm doing this for fun and for free  
Just watch, sue me and die  
(well ok, no not really)  
  
**Hika-chan**: *limps in on cruches covered in bruises from her reviewers. But she is eating some Jelly Beans of DOOM(see reviews for details)* _-coughcough-_ thanks guys _-coughcough-_ Anyway yeah this is uhhh...*looks down* Chapter 7 yeah... There's actually some explination and mild Takahashi chaos in here (I don't think I'm that good at writing it though).  
  


**Once In A Blue Moon**  
An Inu Yasha Fanfic by Hika-chan  
Chapter 7: The Last to Know

  
  
Yuki sensed her brother's return to the castle, it had been about two hours since he left. She got up and took her time getting to his chambers, remembering that he had not taken time to change from his robe before rushing off in his full form. She got to his door just as it opened. Sesshoumaru looked at his sister with well masked surprise. She grinned, "Now Sess-chan you know there's no point in masking your feelings infront of me, so you might as well not even try."  
  
"Why are you here?" He asked simply, not bothering to remove his stoic mask.  
  
She held a hand up, gesturing inside his room, "May I?" He seriously debated it seeing as she did not appear to be in a serious mood. In the end he nodded and gave her room to walk in past him. "I was hoping we could discuss that woman in your dream." She watched his aura change at the topic, she grinned madly. "You know who it is don't you?" She half sang, more an accusation than a question. His aura shifted again in mild surprise.  
  
"I only recently came to that conclusion, yes."  
  
"Then who?" _Of course I already know._ She had seen the invisible link between them the second she saw Kagome at the entrance the day she arrived. He simply looked at her with indifferance, answering her with silence. "Now Sesshie really, you will tell me. Other wise I can make you life a living hell." she sang the end of the threat, letting him know it meant he would not have a moments peace. Yuki would almost literally be on his tail annoying him into eternity. "Not that I don't already know, infact that cute little thing is right under this very roof." She smiled wickedly as his face actually expressed some of his surprise.  
  
"You what?" he asked flatly, as though he didn't believe it.  
  
"I knew the day I met her, well technically it was before I met her, but it was the same day."  
  
Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed, "Then why didn't you say an-"  
  
Yuki was one of the few beings alive that would dare cut him off. "Because dear brother, it was your place to figure it out, yours and hers. It was not something for me to involve myself with."  
  
A smirk of amusement touched his lips, "You? Not sticking your nose into my business? Did the world end without my knowledge?"  
  
She laughed, "Oh my nose was still in it, I just didn't interfere. There is a difference." She walked over towards the dresser before turning around. "Who is she? I can't tell you first."   
  
"I believe it's Kagome."  
  
"Oh you are SO smart Sess-chan! Though under normal circumstances I would have expected you to figure it out sooner."  
  
"Really then enlighten me sister dear."   
  
Yuki grinned and opened the case on the dagger, picking it up and tossing it to him. He caught it and looked up at her, brow raised. "Normally the powers of weapons do not escape your notice. Mother's dagger created the link between you two." He looked at her, as though silently asking her to continue. Her voice became more factual then, "Kagome was stabbed with the dagger, you tasted the blood from the wound. The dagger, in it's attempt to complete it's function cut you the next day, but since Kagome did not do the same, and taste the blood from that wound the link made was not completed as it normally would have been."  
  
"What link?"  
  
"It links you through dream-time, as I'm sure you have guessed. Under normal circumstances, you would have known who each other was the first time you dreamt of each other and it would have been a lucid dream for the two of you. But since it was incomplete so to speak you were not able to make out each other's identities."  
  
He thought on this a moment, "But up until the night before she arrived she was surreal. Like she wasn't real."  
  
"That must be because you were not dreaming at the same time. It is likely you started the dreaming out of synch. But you still had contact with her...'unconcious self' so to speak. This Kagome you could say is almost her true self. No hate, no fear. Anyway in an effort for the link to finish weaving together it simply put you two on the same level."  
  
"Yuki," Sesshoumaru paused, carefully choosing the words for his next question. "Does this link affect moods or emotions of the two linked?"  
  
Yuki put a hand to her mouth as though in though when she was really hiding her grin. "No, if two hated enemies were to be linked they would probably spend their dreams killing each other. Though at the most spending so much time with a person may give them a better understanding of each other.."  
  
"Thank you Yuki." He allowed the smirk to pull on his lips again, "You may find yourself a viable member of the court yet."  
  
She grinned openly, "I wouldn't want it any other way."  
  


***

  
  
Leaving Yuki, Sesshoumaru made his way to Kagome's room where he silently made his way to her bedside and sat down beside her. Gently, as though to get final proof of who she was, he brushed some of her bangs away from her forehead, revealing the navy blue cresant. _I don't feel this way for her because of the dreams. I'm... glad._ The barest ghost of a smile decorated his face and he sat there, watching her sleep. _Don't worry Kagome. If anyone dare take you I will save you._ She rolled over and snuggled up against his waist, her arms wrapping around him. His smile grew a bit and he wrapped her in his tail. _I will forever protect you, my dearest Blue Moon._  
  
About an hour after sunrise (he decided to let her rest more) he reluctantly released himself from her grip, not wanting to frighten her when she awoke. A slight wimper escaped her lips as his warmth left her, casuing him to pause another moment before removing his tail. He silently went to the door and once he was in the hall again he knocked.  
  
Something had felt really nice a second ago, maybe she was holding a pillow when it fell off the futon. Her face scrunched up when she heard the knock again. "uunnn... what?" she mumbled. She cracked open and eye and saw Sesshoumaru's head peeking in through the doorway. Somehow "peeking" didn't seem a word one could use for Sesshoumaru, but she was to tired to think of another word.   
  
She seemed to wake up more quickly when he entered the room. He was wearing his usual outfit, but he didn't have his swords or armor on yet. Kagome pulled the sheet up over her chest, somehow she did not feel very secure with just her sleeping robe and panties between them. Why was his scent already tickling her nose? And why did it make her stomach feel all funny? Under the sheet her other hand was secruing the robe.  
  
"I was hoping you could stay here for some time with Rin while I am away."  
  
Kagome blinked, that wasn't what she had been expecting him to talk about. "Why can't you take her with you?"  
  
"Until my position is secured Rin may be in danger, and she would be a more obvious target if she were to come to my father's castle with me before the coronation."  
  
Kagome nodded, why did his voice sound like he was trying to warn her as well? "Is that all you wanted to talk about?" She asked standing.  
  
He kept his face neutral with some effort. "Well there is one other thing." He walked closer, she went to step back but her legs only hit the futon. He stopped less than two feet infront of her. "Don't worry, I will not hurt you." His fingers brushed against her brow, and ran up her forhead, pushing her bangs up. He smiled lightly before whispering affectionately, "Foolish girl, how can you give me a clue and expect me to figure it out when you always keep it covered?" She stared up at him, blinking her blue eyes. After a moment he could see the acceptance in her gaze. "I regret not being able to take you with me, but there is one thing I would like to take."  
  
Kagome's face went red as she began to blush furiously, "ano.. and uhh what's that?"  
  
His tail wrapped around her waist, pulling her the to close the short distance between them, pressing her body agaisnt his. One of his hands burried itself in her hair while the other hooked her chin, forcing her to look at him. He leaned down so their faces were inches apart. A smile graced his features, it was the most genuine and gentle expression she had ever seen on him. She blinked again while still blushing. _He's.. .smiling, he's REALLY smiling. Is it because of... me?_ He leaned in closer, "May I?" His lips and breath brushed against her own sending an unfamilar yet pleasant chill down her spine. _I can't believe he's so gentle... that he's asking for permission._ She thought a moment longer. _And I can't believe I want to give him that permission._ She gave a very slight nod, barely perceptible had he been further away.   
  
Much slower that she would have expected his lips touched hers, she gasped slightly her body tensing for a moment against his. It was slow and passionate, and so soft she never would have expected it from this youkai who she only used to think of as cruel. Somehow this kiss put out a fire deep inside her only to set another one ablaze. When her body relaxed and she began to kiss back he deepened it. She gasped when his tounge brushed her lips and she pulled back slightly blushing and smiling shyly. "What?" Sesshoumaru asked, amusement plain in his voice.  
  
"Umm.. well you do know that.. umm..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're the only man I've ever kissed..." She said quickly her voice getting quiter as she spoke. Kagome looked back up at him timidly. "I'm not a bad kisser am I?"  
  
"Not bad so far." He grinned wickedly, "Maybe all you need is a little more practice." Before she could give her protest or agreement his lips decended upon hers again. She tensed for only a second before relaxing, her arms coming to rest against his chest as she tried to meld herself into him further.   
  
The hand that was not in her raven hair slid down then up her back, pulling her further into him. Her arms reached up onto his shoulders, as though to get them out of the way as she felt her feet lift off the ground, an easy effort for his arm and tail. Feeling his tounge slip out again Kagome hesitantly parted her lips, allowing his tounge to explore her mouth. She stifened slightly at first before relaxing into it. This feeling was so new to her and she wanted to savor every last bit of it.  
  
Sesshoumaru was vaguely proud of himself that he was able to stay standing. His head was dizzy and his senses were comletely enveloped in the young woman in his arms. Her scent. Her taste. Her heart beating rapidly against his chest and in his ears. Her silky hair between his fingers. The dizzingly plesant aura that was her invading his own. If he didn't already know there was more to be had he would have sworn this was heaven.  
  
"Kagome-chan are you-" The door slammed shut much faster and much louder from when it had opened. Kagome blushed again and pulled her lips away from his before giggling in embarrasment and burying her face against his neck. Sesshoumaru simply smirked and burried his face in her hair. Her laughter was like music. On the other side of the door stood a very shocked and very _very_ confused Sango. _I didn't just see what I thought I did. I didn't just see what I thought I did. I didn't just see Kagome and Sesshoumaru kissing.... did I? Oh kami I did didn't I?_   
  
Swallowing a lump and her throat Sango slowly opened the door and peeked in. Kagome, feet now on the floor, had her head burried in the youkai lord's chest. For a split second Sango mistook the shaking of her shoulders for crying before hearing the giggles. Sesshoumaru, his arms and tail still around the young miko posessively, simply glanced at the intruder with almost playful annoyance. "Don't you humans knock?"  
  
Sango blinked once. Then twice before answering. "I did." Were he more like his brother Sesshoumaru would have blushed. But since he wasn't (thankfully) he simply looked at her with an 'oh-...-is-that-so?' expression, inwardly scolding himself for letting his guard down. Then seemingly shrugged it off.  
  
Sango was growing somewhat uncomfortable in the silence before Kagome recovered from her fit of giggles. "Ano.. Sango-chan... I would uhh.. really appreciate it if you didn't tell Inu Yasha about this." She requested, her cheeks colored red.  
  
"uhh... hai."  
  
"Ahh Sango are you also here to see if Kagome-sama wanted to join us for breakfa-" Miroku cut himself off as he saw the sight before him. "Kagome-sama, does this mean you won't bare my child?"  
  
Sesshoumaru bristled, Sango beat the monk over the head and Kagome laughed, "No Miroku, and you know very well that I never intended to." The young woman hoped that her answer and petting Sesshoumaru's tail (on the side her friends couldn't see of course) would keep him from responding too violently to their groups usual antics.While he seemed placated he apparently did not want to let her go, especially within the presence of the monk.  
  
Kagome was about to ask the same of Miroku that he not tell when two more, shorter sets of eyes came to see what all the noise was about. "Ka..ka... Kagome!?" Was all the little kitsune could choke out.  
  
Rin, on the other hand squealed happily and ran to embrace both Sesshoumaru and Kagome. "Does this mean Kagome-neechan is going to Rin's new mother!?" Kagome paled somewhat at the thought.  
  
"Rin," Sesshoumaru began, "What did we talk about before?"  
  
"Oh... will you me _my_ new mother?"  
  
"Very good."  
  
Kagome laughed nervously, "well uh.. eheheh that remains to be seen."  
  
"Kagome-chan!" Sango exclaimed, somewhat surprised that this was not an open and shut case.  
  
Kagome turned, free from Sesshoumaru's embrace, though his tail was still around her waist. "I'll tell you about it later Sango-chan, just for right now no one tell Inu Yasha... I have to figure out what I'm going to say to him first."  
  
Unfortunately for Kagome's plans, about two minutes ago Inu Yasha remembered he had to beat the crap out of his brother...  
  
"Sesshoumaru!!"  
  
Kagome smacked her forehead and groaned, "So much for THAT idea." She yelped slightly when Sesshoumaru's tail picked her off the ground and moved her behind him. Aparently Inu Yasha was in one of his ask-questions-later-if-they're-still-alive modes. However before the hanyou got to swing more than twice... "SIT!"  
  
Surprisingly Inu Yasha did not jump right back up once he hit the floor. Instead he lay there a moment mumbling something about ungreatful wenches. He pushed his face up off the ground and glared menacingly at the girl in his brother's tail.  
  
...In  
  
...his  
  
...brother's  
  
...tail?  
  
He decided to save that little bit for later debate. "What the hell was that for Kagome!?" She crossed her arms and raised an annoyed brow at the hanyou. "What!?"  
  
'Because you should have learned by now not to go rushing into situations like that,' she was tempted to say, but decided against it as it would make her sound too much like Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru-kun could you please put me down, I need to have a word with Inu Yasha.  
  
Said hanyou tried very hard to restrain his growl. _K-k-k-KUN!?!?_ In similar shock the others stared at her.  
  
"Why don't I just tell him?" Sesshoumaru asked. "Getting it overwith quickly would be best." His voice remained as cool as ever, but Kagome read him a bit differently then the others did. He was almost saying 'Oh _please_ let me tell him, I really wanna see his face!!'  
  
"No."  
  
Sesshoumaru put her down directly infront of himself, leaving only enough room between them for his tail to get out from between them. "Then why don't we show him?"  
  
"Sesshoumaru I don't thi-mmph!" Everyone's eyes in the room bulged, well everyone other than Sesshoumaru. Kagome had to admit he was a damn good kisser, but infront of her friends? In front of Inu Yasha like this!? Her eyes narrowed and she pushed herself back blushing angrily. "Sesshoumaru no baka! You are SO mean!" She turned and looked at her freinds all of them staring numbly at her, though Sango not so much as she had walked in on them to begin with. Rin still seemed quite happy about the whole arrangement. Jaken, who had walked in sometime during the kiss was passed out on the floor twitching, eyes staring blankly and his mouth opening and closing like a fish.  
  
"Ne... Inu Yasha-" Kagome started. The hanyou simply held up a hand for her to stop, turned around and walked out the door. Kagome almost went to call after him but decided against it. Instead she turned to Sesshoumaru crossing her arms over her chest. "Now look what you did."  
  
"Me?"  
  
"Yes you!"  
  
He smirked, "Do not worry, I will take care of him."  
  
Kagome turned to him suspiciously, "What do you mean by that?"  
  
"Don't worry he will not be hurt. Besides you should get dressed."  
  
Kagome looked down at her nemaki. "eep!" She immediately pulled it closed tighter about her as it had apparently become looser during the past few minutes. He gave her a slight grin before heading out the door, pushing the other's out before (though not actually physically) him to give her some privacy before closing the door.  
  


***

  
  
Jaken stumbled numbly out to where Juutsuma, Makumba, Youtei and Umajin were overseeing the packing of things for that afternoon's trip. "Toad alert," Umajin muttered, the horse youkai standing by one of the carts, making sure the luggage was secure.  
  
They looked up, expecting to see and here the litte green youkai yelling and throwing his weight around. Instead he simply stopped infront of them, his mouth opened and closed a few times before sound came out. "Sesshoumaru-sama... wench... kiss... human..." then he fell over, once again passed out on the floor.  
  
The female hawk youkai, Youtei, Jumped off her perch on top of the cart landing beside Juutsuma. "Looks like Sesshoumaru-sama has chosen a woman."  
  
Makumba brought a hand up, scratching along one of the tear track stripes on her face, "Yes, but the certain members of the council will not likely be happy about this."  
  
"I don't think most of them will mind," Umajin said, "As long as she does not have a child anyway. Human life spans aren't so long that most would care to worry about it. A good deal of them don't consider the few decades of a human's life to be that long." He looked up to Juutsuma, the tiger youkai that was in charge when Sesshoumaru was not around. "Don't you think so?"  
  
"As long as she doesn't have a hanyou..." Juutsuma mused, "But if he really takes her for a mate what are the chances of that happening?"  
  


***

  
  
The two dog brothers were standing across from each other in the dojo. Sesshoumaru had decided to allow his brother to work out some of his frustrations before talking. Once again weapons lay off to the side and the hanyou charged first. Sesshoumaru easily dodged his brother's attacks. Fortunately for Inu Yasha he was feeling charitable enough not to punch back, though on occasion he did flip or throw his younger brother. "Now really Inu Yasha I don't see what you're so angry about."  
  
"WHAT!?" The hanyou shouted, pairing the exclimation with several more violent slashes of his claws.  
  
"Well it's not like you don't have someone else. I only helped you make up your mind."  
  
"Well I never asked you too!"  
  
"Really Inu Yasha I'm sure you noticed by now that the other girl fits you much better than Kagome does. She really is much more your type." Sesshoumaru grinned, dodging more attacks easily.  
  
"And what the hell do you know about Kikyou anyway!?"  
  
"Kikyou? I was talking about Hikaru."  
  
"What?" Inu Yasha was obviously surprised giving Sesshoumaru an opening to through the hanyou across the room.  
  
Sesshoumaru continued talking as if they were casually discussing the weather over tea. "Well you are both hanyou, that alone should make it obvious to you." He brushed some dust off the shoulder of his clothes. "That and you have been pestering her almost non stop since you arrived."  
  
"Because she has a Shikon Shard!"  
  
Sesshoumaru was very amused. "Ahh yes. Is that what you keep telling yourself? Not only that but you two have been constantly sparring as well. No you may not know this since you are a hanyou but to a good portion of youkai that is just as good as courting if not foreplay."  
  
"F-f-f-foreplay!?" Sesshoumaru hid his amusement as Inu Yasha was gradually turning the color of his kimono.  
  
"Yes, foreplay." He watched his younger brother for a moment, the hanyou was obviously taking time to digest this information. "You think about that Inu Yasha. I have other things to attend to before I leave."  
  
Walking back to the main house Sesshoumaru could not help but grin at his brother's behavior and his own. _Maybe Kagome was right. Maybe I DO care about the runt._  
  
--------------------------------------------  
Juutsuma and the others are the same ones from DotM in case you forgot  
(hee hee quick guide:Juutsuma - Male tiger; Makumba- Female Cheetah; Youtei - Female Hawk; Umajin - Male Horse)  
  
Oh yeah, just so you know I didn't forget about the ring, it will be brought up later. ^_~  
*looks at the end of the chapter again* Oh crap, you guys are gonna beat me up again aren't you? *runs and hides*  



	8. Departure

I don't own the Inu Yasha Characters Rumiko Takahashi does. You know that, I know that. So there!  
  
Hika-chan: Sorry it took so long just to get the other half of this chapter. First week of classes and all. That and I'm debating starting a web-comic.. but I need to develope more story line for that too and I felt sort of tapped out even though I know where this is going and paying for tuition and.. arrrgh! you get the idea right?  
  
There's been a slight time descrepancy created as I realized I wanted to move the time table up a bit. So Kagome and the others were at Sesshoumaru's about 9 days (instead of 2) before the "incident" in the garden k?  
  


**Once In A Blue Moon**  
An Inu Yasha Fanfic by Hika-chan  
Chapter 8: Departure  
  


Inu Yasha sat slumped against the wall, a stunned and distant look on his face. His brother wasn't right was he? He didn't like that stuck up feathered snob of a hanyou did he? He shook his head and narrowed his eyes. No. Sesshoumaru probably just told him that to get his mind off of...  
  
A growl emmited from his throat as he thought of what Sesshoumaru had shown him by way of telling him. He _kissed_ Kagome! And what was worse, she... well she did look angry about it, but not in the "right way." She was angry that he kissed her infront of them, not because he had kissed her period. _That bitch!_ he thought before immediately reprimanding himself for thinking of Kagome like that. Sesshoumaru had stollen her right out from underneath his nose. Reluctantly he thought back at the moment he saw them kiss, a surge of emotion had rushed through him, shock, denile, rage, loss. He had wanted so much to look away, especially when for a second Kagome had closed her eyes and kissed him back. But he could not, he had been rooted to the spot by some unknown force within him. Something that said, "You have to see this. You have to know, and accept."  
  
It was then he realized that must have been how Kagome felt some two months ago (or when was it really?) when she had seen him and Kikyou in the forest. Surprisingly he realized he had reacted as she did. Not wanting to confront or accept the situation right away, he had run.   
  
Just like she had done.   
  
He bowed his head and sighed. Then again anger flowed through him. Anger at his brother and himself. And Kagome? he wasn't sure what he felt towards her now. Hate? Never, he would never hate her. Betrayal... quite possibly. But what did she betray? His friendship? Falling in love with another man was not a betrayal of friendship, it was a betrayal of something more. Something he realized he thought they had, or could have had. _Am I really that stupid?_ Niether of them had ever really acted on it, he should have but... but it was too late now. Now he knew what he felt for Kagome, loss, he lost her in a way he never he had.  
  
These thoughts and emotions had slowly progressed through Inu Yasha over a few hours. And in no way did they come in such an organized fashion as presented here. He spent a good deal of his time focusing on being angry, he was comfortable with that, angry with his brother, with himself. But when his thoughts came to Kagome the anger would fizzle out. He had just come to the conclusion of how he was alone again, but not alone, when a familiar scent approahed followed by her entrance into the dojo.   
  
She looked around the dojo, it wasn't nearly as neat as it usually was. In fact if one were to pick one word to describe it they would likely choose "trashed." Apparently Inu Yasha had seen fit to take out some of his physical frustrations out on the training room and the objects within it."-hmph- What happened to you?" She asked rudely.  
  
He looked up at her, as though confirming her identity then turned his head away and down, closing his eyes. "Go away bird."  
  
Hikaru blinked, then grinned somewhat, "You've been brooding." she stated plainly. "Does put you in a mood to spar?"  
  
He shot his gaze in her direction, glaring, "Look I want to be alone. Go away." She seemed a bit taken aback, but not offended, nor did she move. Suddenly what his brother had said eariler came to mind again. He studied her face a moment. Being a hanyou she looked nothing like Kikyou or Kagome. Her features were more angular and while her eyes were narrower than both girls' her crimson irises were large, taking up most of her eyes similar to a bird's. Her eyes were lined with black, a natural part of her facial marks, and several lines came off of the corner of each eye curling both up and down with the curves of her face. Her ears were also pointed, for a moment he was amazed how she had gotten different demonic aspects from her father, vaugly wondered how different every hanyou was. Though the red tuft on her bangs reminded him of Kagome's now blue streaks there was little else that reminded him of either woman. Judging by her appearance she was probably about his age if one didn't count the fifty years he spent stuck to a tree. Which put her in her late second or early third decade. Finally he took his eyes from her, "Look I'm not in the mood."  
  
"Fine," she shrugged she turned to leave then stopped, "Oh Sesshoumaru-sama wanted me to let you know that he would be leaving around noon. In case you were interested."  
  
Inu Yasha made no response as she left the dojo.  
  


***  
  


They would arrive tomorrow. Sesshoumaru and his little entourage of whoever he decided to bring along with him. The entire castle was abound with servants making preparations for his arrival. Kuroinu remained in his quarters, not wanting to deal with the lesser youkai and humans that ran about in the hall. They would arrive soon and Kuroinu would soon find out a means to humiliate or manipulate Sesshoumaru.  
  


***  
  


_Dammit, I was hoping the idiot wanted to fight._ She thought, _It's the only thing he seems to be good at anyway._ Hikaru ran a hand through her feathered hair, the full moon was fast approaching and her mind always wandered to places she didn't want it to in those times. The fighting kept her mind off it. She was cursed with her memory of that day, even if she was only eight at the time. She shook her head to try and dispel the thoughts again. She didn't know why she tried that, it never worked before.  
  


***  
  


"Kagome?" He found her in the library again, nestled in the same corner reading.  
  
She looked up and smiled at him, "Hello Sesshoumaru. How're things coming along?"  
  
"As far as preparations? Fine." He held his hand out to her to help her stand. She closed her book and put her hand in his. She seemed a bit lighter than he remembered beacuse when he pulled her up, she was all but thrown into his arms. She laughed a little at the 'ride'. "Kagome," he asked quietly when her laughter subsided, "Will you be mine? Only mine, now and forever?"  
  
She blinked, a little shocked at his proposal, to her that's what it sound like, what it was. "I'll have to think about it," she said hesitantly, afraid that not giving an immediate answer would push him away. "But how about I'm yours at least until you get back?"  
  
He smiled at her, lowering his face until his lips met hers. "I guess that will have to do. But tonight I want you to tell me about your world."  
  
She looked at him confused, "Tonight? But I thought you were leaving today."  
  
"I am, you just have to remember to go to sleep," he grinned, watching the realization dawn on her face.  
  
"Sesshoumaru?"  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
She lifted her right hand next to her face. "What does this ring do?"  
  
He smiled knowingly, "It helps me protect you." Was all he said.  
  


***  
  


"Maa.. everyone seems to be brooding today," Yuki muttered, sitting on the large rock in the middle of the garden. Hikaru had passed by not to long ago, obviously deep in thought about something. "Even Rin-chan's all pouty today because Sess-chan's leaving her here."  
  
"Yuki-sama?" The pale woman looked down at the child then smiled.  
  
"Yes Rin-chan?"  
  
"Why is Rin's Sesshoumaru-sama leaving me here? I want to go with him!"  
  
Her smile grew slightly, which made the girl a little confused. Rin was as good as a daughter to Sesshoumaru, she was sure he knew it, though she didn't know if he admitted it. She reached down with her tail and picked the girl up and placed Rin on her lap. "Do you really want to know why he's not taking you Rin-chan?"  
  
"He told you?"  
  
Yuki shook her head, "He didn't tell me, but I know him well enough." She grinned, "We both know he'd never say it but he doesn't want you going with him because he cares about you."  
  
"I don't understand."  
  
"Yes you do, you're a smart girl. When Sesshoumaru leaves you anywhere what does he say?"  
  
"That he might fight."  
  
"And he doesn't want you there because..."  
  
Rin thought a moment, "Because Rin... I might get hurt if I go?"  
  
"That's right." Yuki smiled brightly tapping a clawed finger on her nose for emphasis. "So that means he doesn't want you hurt because..."  
  
"Because Sesshoumaru-sama cares about me!" She smiled widely showing her teeth. Then her face twisted in thought, ".. is Sesshoumaru-sama going to fight?"  
  
Yuki seemed to take a moment to think, more for effect than actual time to think. "Not really, but he is going somewhere where not all youkai like him, and it is possible that they would try to hurt you. If you go with him you will be in danger." Rin's eyes widened her face obviously expressing "ohh..." Yuki smiled and reached out to tickle the child. "Rin-chan I just can't believe how CUTE you are!"  
  


***

  
  
Kagome was amazed at Sesshoumaru's attitude change when other people were around. Aside from his little display that morning he was pretty much the "old" Sesshoumaru infront of the others. The last of the details were being taken care of right now, they would leave within the next fifteen minutes she guessed. She watched as Makumba hitched the cart onto Ah-un, Sesshoumaru's dragon mount.  
  
Earlier he had told both Yuki and Hikaru stay behind with them. Yuki knew the reason for it. He feared for both Rin and Kagome. While Inu Yasha was admittedly strong, she knew her brother would not put his faith in the hanyou sibling. She, like Kagome, was observing the last of the packing. But unlike the girl she was watching with a purpose. She studied the auras of the youkai that were to be travelling with her brother, feigning intrest in the things they were tying to the cart. She would occasionally make remarks like "Shouldn't that go on top?" and "Why are you bringing that?"  
  
But inwardly she cursed, Damn.. all she saw was loyalty, but seeing that didn't tell her _who_ they were loyal to. Of course deception usually showed up in one form or another. She had a bad feeling since Sesshoumaru told her of his dream last night. She was almost convinced that one of her brother's servants was going to betray him. Afterall one had to believe one close to them before they would feel betrayed. She was all but positive that Jaken was not the culprit, but other than that... well she didn't know the other servants so well. _Chikusho! I'm not getting anywhere this way! Either I'm being blocked somehow or the betrayer is not in this castle. Uncle perhaps? Eh... maybe.. maybe not. _Hidden in the fluffiness of her tail, which rivaled Sesshoumaru's, her fingers traced an arcane symbol.  
  
_"Jaken."_ She called telepathically by virtue of the spell.  
  
The toad jumped slightly from his posistion near Ah-un. He turned a moment to look at his master's pale older sister, before averting his gaze at the brief almost imperceptible glare she cast him. _"Hai Yuki-sama?"_  
  
While he was admittedly annoying Jaken had made a habit of knowing where everything belonged and when certain things occured, no matter his halting and stuttering manner of relaying the information. _"Jaken in the last few months has anyone other than Sesshoumaru recived or sent any messages or packages?"_  
  
The short youkai lowered his head a moment in thought. _"I do not believe so Yuki-sama."  
  
"Who handles most of the messages and has anyone left?"  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama usually has Makumba handle them since she is the fastest. Sometimes Youtei handles them. And Makumba did leave somewhere about three months ago."  
  
"Is this a usual occurance?"  
  
"Hai Yuki-sama. Once or twice a year she visits her parents."_  
  
Yuki blinked. That seemed... odd for a youkai, but if she remembered correctly Makumba and her family were a bit different due to their forgien origins. _"Before then when was the last time she went to visit them?"  
  
"She was overdue for one according to her. It has been nearly two years since her last."  
  
"That is all Jaken."_ Unless this plan was made years ago in contingency to Sesshoumaru finally becoming under consideration... dammit. _"Sesshoumaru."_  
  
She could almost feel his irritation. _"Yuki I told you never to do that again."_  
  
She grinned. _"No you never told me to never again read your mind that time. This is just talking to your mind and you know it."  
  
"What do you want?"  
  
"Those you are taking with you, do you trust them?"_  
  
He didn't think long. _"Yes. Should I not?"_  
  
Yuki sighed mentally, _"That I am still trying to determine."  
  
"Well when you get something more solid to tell me you let me know,"_ Sesshoumaru replied before severing the mental connection.  
  
Yuki blinked then grinned slightly, _Still as bossy as ever._  
  


***

  
  
Hikaru wondered what was going on, like a good portion of the others in the castle she was observing the cart waiting for Sesshoumaru to make his departure. Having the sight of a hawk and a good vantage point from the roof she first noticed the little green youkai jump. There was something odd about his behavior after that, he looked like he was talking... but he wasn't. He had looked in Yuki's direction but if she was the one he was communicating with she hid it much better. The pale youkai's eyes scanned the area like they had before hand. _Hmmm... perhaps she knows something is going on?_  
  
Her ponderings were cut short after a minute when the Lord of the Western Lands stepped out into the courtyard. Jumping down from her perch she landed not to far from Yuki. Breifly she wondered why Inu Yasha was not present.  
  
"Good luck brother." The dog said to her younger sibling.  
  
Sesshoumaru seemed pleased (though one wouldn't notice unless they knew exactly what to look for) that Yuki had for the most part refrained from calling him by the less-than-appropriate nick names she had for him, at least infront of most of the others. He turned his gaze over to Kagome who was visibly holding herself back from going over to him. He allowed his expression to soften slightly but before he could take a step towards the his blue moon there was a small something wrapped around his legs.  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin wailed her eyes quickly tearing.  
  
He knelt down beside her. "Rin be strong and do not cry."  
  
"But..."  
  
"For me Rin."  
  
The child composed herself somewhat though her lips still sported a pout. "But Ri- I will miss you Sesshoumaru-sama."  
  
"Do not fear for me Rin. I will return." He place a hand on her head in an almost paternal gesture and stood. He turned his eyes to Kagome again, though his expression did not change she could see a smile in his eyes. She blushed and looked down before turning her eyes back up to him and smiling shyly. She knew not to expect any physical form of affection from him at the moment. Any time he was close to her they had always been alone, therefore assumed that where he was concerned private things remained private... Unless he was feeling "mischeivous"; though the very idea of Sesshoumaru being playful like that still seemed odd to her. Inu Yasha and Sango she could possibly see, Miroku and Yuki were definetly types that reveled in mischief, and Shippo.. well he was a fox _and_ a kid.  
  
Sesshoumaru did not take his eyes from her as he told his servants it was time to go. It was an amazing sight really, five full blooded youkai changing into their true forms as Jaken took up the reins of the dragon mount. She brushed her hair back from her eyes as the wind whipped it around. The white golden eyed dog made a quick goodbye glance to Rin, then a final one at Kagome before leaping over the castle wall. Kagome smiled somewhat and wispered to herself, "See you soon."  
  
---------------------------------  
It's amazing the amount of stuff they can get done when they wake up early isn't it?  
  
at the request of several of my reviewers (not to mention some real life friends as well o_O) I probably will write a lemon sometime(as soon as I work up the guts). But more than likely I will post it separately (though it will still be part of this story), for those of you who would prefer not to read it. 


	9. Sakura

I dinnae own 'em, at least I dinnae think I do...Actually if I did I'd know, so I don't.  
  


**Once In A Blue Moon**  
An Inu Yasha Fanfic by Hika-chan  
Chapter 9: Sakura

  
  
The second their feet touched the ground just outside the castle the five youkai once again took their humanoid forms. "It never ceases to amaze me how you can always make an impressive entrance with such little effort Sesshoumaru."  
  
He turned his gaze to the white dog youkai before him, the corner of his lip turned up just a little. "Hello uncle."  
  
Shiroga smiled, "You've changed Sesshoumaru."  
  
The younger youkai raised a brow, "Oh?"  
  
He nodded, "You have always called me by my name before. What brought about this 'uncle' stuff?"  
  
"Perhaps Yuki has rubbed off on me."  
  
"Been seeing your sister?"  
  
"Unfortunately." The two white dogs shared an amused smirk before a black dog youkai approached.  
  
"Excuse me Shiroga-sama, Sesshoumaru-sama. But the council awaits."  
  
"Of course," Shiroga answered for them, "You remember Kuroinu?" Sesshoumaru nodded. "The servants will show your people to their quarters. I'm sure they will be done by the time we get out of the meeting if not long before." _Another reason I'll be glad to hand this job over to you._  
  


***

  
  
_Where is he?_ Kagome thought as she wandered through the halls. It was early evening now, the sun had set not to long ago. _I haven't seen him since this morning... I hope he's not too angry. _  
  
_Oh no.. why would he be angry? _A sarcastic voice muttered in her head.  
  
_Yeah yeah I get the point... shut up brain_.  
  
_Whatever... _Kagome sighed, she had had some weird interal dialogue before but that was a bit different. She immediately brushed the idea aside for later, it as probably just her way of distracting herself from the odd turn of events that her life had recently taken. She finally found him, not surprisingly in a tree. And even less surprisingly he was sulking. The nearly full moon was in the air behind him, framing and lighting his form. "Inu Yasha..." The hanyou made no response, he simply sat there staring at apparently nothing. "Come on Inu Yasha, talk to me. You're not mad about the whole... thing this morning are you?"  
  
He didn't say anything for a second then, "How?"  
  
She barely heard the harsh and raspy question. "What?"  
  
He turned his head in her direction but did not look at her. "How did this happen?"  
  
"You mean with Sesshoumaru?"  
  
He jumped down infront of her so suddenly she took a step back in surprise. "What the f*ck do you think I'm talking about, Kagome!?"  
  
She shifted uneasily under his gaze, averting her own eyes. He looked so hurt and betrayed and... lost. She couldn't really blame him, his entire world, well at least his preconceptions of Sesshoumaru and likely herself, were just shattered. That and it was obvious that she and the hanyou's brother were complete opposites, anyone else would have been surprised and confused by it. Of course Inu Yasha took it personally. "I... I don't know exactly. It started when I was here the first time. Tsukinoshi and I were... fighting so to speak, and he helped me. If it was only that things might not have turned out this way, but..."  
  
"But what?" the hanyou asked very near afraid of what else might have happened in those short number of days in which Sesshoumaru held Kagome in his "care" before he arrived.  
  
"It started the night before you arrived there. I as having a nightmare until someone showed up in my dream and he chased them away. I didn't know who he was and I kept having those lucid dreams with this man in them. If I asked who he was I would wake, I never got to see his face and even when I did when I woke I couldn't remember what he looked like." she paused and looked at Inu Yasha. He looked mildly confused, wondering when she would get to the point. "We talked about all sorts of pointless things, he was great to talk to. For a long time I wasn't even sure he was real. Only recently did I begin to suspect it was Sesshoumaru."  
  
"What!?"  
  
"I don't know how it happened, but somehow Sesshoumaru and I became linked through our dreams."  
  
Inu Yasha almost looked horrified, "What the hell did he do to you!?"  
  
Kagome answered him plainly, "Nothing. The only thing I can think of is him using the Tenseiga on me, but somehow I don't think that would normally cause this sort of bond."  
  
Inu Yasha felt his insides twist when Kagome used the word "bond" to describe this.. thing between her and his hated half-brother. "What kind of things did he tell you in your dreams that you could even begin to believe he was... was..."  
  
"Remotely likeable?" Kagome offered, the hanyou nodded. "When the dreams started he was so surreal. We weren't both aware at the same time, and it was like I was talking to his true self. The real Sesshoumaru under the cold pretense and murderous reputation."  
  
"It is not just a reputation Kagome. Sesshoumaru is a murdering asshole!"  
  
"Prove it."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Prove it to me."  
  
Inu Yasha's eyes widened a moment in surprise, then his eyes narrowed, "He's a murderer Kagome."  
  
"We've both killed Inu Yasha, albeit youkai but we had reasons for it. We never killed anyone without reason, or just for fun." She skirted the issue, she didn't want to remind Inu Yasha of the time he slaughtered the retreating bandits in his youkai rage. The way he noticably stiffened she knew it was a bit late for that. So she steamrolled over the issue. "I don't think Sesshoumaru's has ever done it with pleasure or without reason. Though I would imagine that he has a different kind of reasoning that we do. He would probably consider someone cutting him off a perfectly suitable reason but it's a reason nonetheless."  
  
"He kills humans Kagome. _Humans._ We do not."  
  
She looked at her closest friend, there was something he wasn't telling her. "What happened Inu Yasha. What aren't you telling me?" He swayed back a second before turning away, Kagome knew that look. That was the "I know but I don't want to tell you" kinda look like he always had after their encounters with Kikyou. She moved closer to him forcing herself into his vision. Inu Yasha shifted uncomfortably, the hairs on the back of his neck raised a bit as he could smell his now absent brother on her. Nothing too major just bit that rubbed off from close proximity, they hadn't... He shook away those thoughts, the important thing right now was not how far Kagome and Sesshoumaru had gotten... he didn't even want to _think_ about it, it was Kagome and her safety. "Inu Yasha... Tell me."  
  
He clenched his teeth and looked away again. "I don't want you to end up like Sakura."  
  
"Who?"  
  


***

  
  
"How goes things my lord?" she asked careful not to use his name, while the rooms were magically sealed against sound getting out, in a city of youkai there was much to be wary of.  
  
The dog grinned at her, sensing even now her attraction to him which he used to the greatest of his ability, "So far nothing has happened to disrupt things. Our current Lord and the future one are being held in further discussions with the council. Where are the others?"  
  
"About, I believe they are either in their rooms or the baths, Makumba is visiting her parents."  
  
"I see.. and what can you tell me that may be of use in regaurds to our soon to be lord?"  
  
Her eyes lit up with a michevious light, "Lord Sesshoumaru has chosen a woman," she noticed the dog's bare interest in the matter. "A human woman," she added with a feral grin.  
  
Ah yes that got his full attention, "Tell me more."  
  


***

  
  
Sakura was born to a handmaiden in Sesshoumaru's 60th year, a few years after Inu Yasha himself. At first the human girl and hanyou were easy friends, as children often are. But, as humans age twice as fast as hanyou, the girl soon surpassed games with him. Though Sakura still remained Inu Yasha's friend her interests soon began to change.  
  
Sometime during her fourteenth spring, she began to find it hard not to notice her lord's son. And it seemed that he was having similar difficulty concentrating. While his parents shared knowing smiles hers were somewhat worried. True their lord had married a human like them, but even so their mistress was of nobel birth. They were worried for their daughter in that such a match, across both class and race, was completely unheard of and even less possible. But within a year the two had come to each other after many awkward moments and silences, after all Sesshoumaru was not much older than her in relative terms.  
  
"...But you know how dangerous things always are in this time right?" Inu Yasha asked. Kagome nodded, wondering if perhaps Sesshoumaru had failed to protect his first love, she wasn't far off. "Well," the hanyou began awkwardly, "Sesshoumaru was attacked by an older youkai, my brother was more skilled, but weaker due to his age. He won, but barely survived in his victory." Inu Yasha paused looking down at the fish in the pond, "That battle changed our lives, his, hers and mine. At the time I was about equivalent to Rin in age, maybe a bit older. I looked up to Sesshoumaru as much as Souta looks up to me now, if not more. Anyway like I said Sesshoumaru was badly injured. Sakura was watching me when I caught scent of his blood, it was unfortunate that Sakura and I found him first." The hanyou took a moment to take a deep breath before continuing.  
  
"When a youkai is badly injured they enter a rage-like state. They loose all reason and are almost pure instinct. He was still in that state when we found him. She went to run to him, but he attcked. If his claws had reached two inches further he would have killed her. His eyes were red, I remember, and that was when I began to smell her fear. She grabbed my hand and we ran. The dumbest thing you can do is run from a youkai in that state. It's in our blood to chase what runs." Kagome winced, for the second time remembering the fleeing bandits.   
  
"Even though he was injured Sesshoumaru was more than fast enough to catch up to us. He ripped her throat out..." In the pause Kagome's hand unconciously went up to her own throat, not remembering, but knowing what Sesshoumaru had done to her as well. "I don't know what it was I did or said," he continued, "but something about me snapped him out of it. He looked so shocked and horrified a what he had done." _It was the only time I ever saw him cry. _"When it was over he vowed that he would never again loose control of himself..."  
  


***

  
  
"That is interesting," he mused, "Very interesting indeed. Tell me, who is at the castle now?"  
  
"Quite a few lesser youkai, Yuki-sama and Inu Yasha-"  
  
He raised a brow cutting her off, "The three siblings were in the same home and it is still in one peace?" the youkai woman he spoke to nodded. "That's unbeliveable continue."  
  
"A fox kit, a hawk hanyou, and two humans, a monk and a Youkai Taija, the girl is a miko herself."  
  
He grinned, "Well isn't that an interesting little group?"  
  
"Hai, it is... amusing watching them sometimes. What shall we do?"  
  
"Come back later tonight with the other," Kuroinu said, "We will make a plan thn and excute it within the next two days."  
  


***

  
  
The day had been long and boring for Sesshoumaru, sitting in council since he arrived, he had skipped the meal he didn't need and headed for bed to sleep. To his blue moon. He found her sitting in a vaguely familiar clearing, recognizing it when he saw the well she sat on. She smiled at him and waved, "Konbawa Sesshou-kun"  
  
He smiled a bit apparently she had taken the oppourtunity waiting for him to get better control of the dreamscape where they met. Of course she had also spent allot of time thinking since she talked to Inu Yasha about Sesshoumaru's first flame. She wanted to ask him more about it but at the same time felt it was a tender subject not to be adressed. Besides that was a long time ago right? I mean it was... ok she didn't know how long but it was at least fifty years. Anyway she was going to show him her world tonight. "So," he asked, "What are we doing here?"  
  
She gave a catlike grin, "I'm gonna show you my home. Come on." She grabbed his arm and pulled him into the well with her. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek before she began climbing the ladder on her side of the well.  
  
"Why did w not just start on this side?" Sesshoumaru asked, perfectly aware and perfectly willing to let her take control of their surroundings.  
  
"Trust me," she said as he came out of the well, looking around the well house, "Things have changed allot!" She pulled him towards the door, "Brace yourself." Sesshoumaru looked around, at first seeing nothing to out of the ordinary. Slightly sturdier looking buildings, but similar in design to ones in his time. Then his vision strayed up past a line of trees to very different looking buildings.  
  
"Those buildings," he asked pointing, "How tall are they?"  
  
"Hmm? Oh I'd say at least ten stories, there are much taller ones but those are just apartments."  
  
Sesshoumaru raised a brow, "The doors on them seem rather close to be called that."  
  
She laughed, before explaining what an apartment was. "Come on, we'll start small I'm going to show you my house first. She walked him up to the pale pink and green house, and was immediately asked questions about what it was made out of and her families social standing to own such a nice house. She told him what little she knew about the arcitechture before answering the second question. Kagome smiled and laughed allot over the next several hours, which was likely allot less time in the real world. Sesshoumaru wasn't lying that time when he told her that he was inquisitive. he often asked her a qustion about something before she finished answering his last question.  
  
"I'm not sure how accurate this view is," Kagome said sometime later when they sat atop the observation deck of Tokyo Tower, "It's been so long since I've been to Tokyo Tower."  
  
"Your world is amazing Kagome," he said, watching the sunlight reflect off the glass and steal monoliths of Tokyo. She smiled and snuggled closer to his side, "It's our world Sesshoumaru, at least it will be yours as well in five hundred years... Will you live that long?"  
  
He nodded, "If am not killed before then, yes. When a youkai reaches adolecense their aging slows, and then even more so once they reach maturity. Also one's blood plays a great role in how long their natural life is."  
  
"And you have the blood of the great Inutaisho."  
  
He smiled and nodded, "Yes I do."  
  
"So..." she asked slyly, "How old and wrinkled will you be in five hundred years?"  
  
He thought a moment, "I will probably appear as one of you when they are in their third decade."  
  
She grinned and kissed him, "But one who has aged gracefully of course."  
  
"Of course" he said, pulling her into his lap. He ran a hand through her hair before pulling her face to his. A minute later when they broke apart she sighed. "What?"  
  
"Is it just me," she began, "Or is this much funner in person?"  
  
"Definitly," he answered, "But this is still enjoyable too don't you think?"  
  
She giggled and gave him another quick kiss, "Yes... it is."  
  
-------------------------------------------  
Yeah sorry that took so long, but with school and all. I got two art classes which requires allot of work time,I got a job -ick- and I did run out of steam for this after a while... I honestly don't know how long till the next chapter will come out but I do have it laid out.. (Of course I had this one laid out as well so don't get your hopes up) 


	10. Oneechan Makes It All Better

I don't own Inu Yasha. You know it, I know it, so let's just stop kidding ourselves shall we?  
  


**Once In A Blue Moon**  
An Inu Yasha Fanfic by Hika-chan  
**Chapter 10: Oneechan Makes It All Better**

  
  
"Sango, might I ask you a question?"  
  
The youkai exterminator paused in her excercises, "Hai Yuki-sama, what is it?"  
  
"I am just wondering, what's the deal with Inu Yasa and Kagome?"  
  
Sango blinked, then sighed, "You had best take a seat Yuki-sama, this is going to be a long story."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"I can't give you too many details, I wasn't always there. But it all started with Inu Yasha and Kikyou fifty years ago..."  
  


***

  
  
Inu Yasha banged on Hikaru's door "Yo, Feathers you wanna spar or what?"  
  
"Go away mutt I'm not in the mood!"  
  
"Why should that matter!?" He said forcing her door open. Hikaru's eyes glowed red and a gust of wind threw the male hanyou back from the door and slammed it shut again. What the #*$& was that for!?"  
  
Hikaru put a hand to her head, couldn't the moron take a hint. "Leave me alone baka, I don't feel well."  
  
"Keh, That's bullsh*t! Youkai and hanyou don't just get sick... unless."  
  
Before he realized it Inu Yasha was slammed against the wall by the wind with a set of Hikaru's talons at his neck. "You tell anyone at all and I shall slay you where you stand."  
  
Inu Yasha grinned, "Well you had best do it soon then, your claws are loosing their edge." She stiffened a bit at that remark before baring her teeth at him. "Don't worry," he said more sincerely, "I know what an important secret it is. I won't tell."  
  
She blinked, then stepped back, removing her talons from his neck. _Maybe he's not so bad after all._ "Thank you, I'm sorry I attacked you."  
  
He sniffed, "You don't change at sunset do you? You change sooner right? I can smell it."  
  
She blanched then dragged him into the room closing the door. "You can't just talk about that in the hallway! Are you nuts!?"   
  
Inu Yasha smiled sheepishly and shrugged. "But I'm right aren't I?"  
  
Hikaru nodded, taking a look out the window to the morning sky, "Midday to Midnight."  
  
Inu Yasha cocked his head curiously. "Of the full moon huh? Should I leave now?"  
  
"What's the point now? You already know, but I won't leave the room today, I don't want anyone else to know." She grinned at him, "Besides I doubt I could keep you off my back for long you annoying mutt."  
  
"heh, got that right, see you later feathers," he said as he walked out the door.  
  


***

  
  
"You're serious?" Yuki asked before sighing and shaking her head, "Honestly I can't believe Inu-chan sometimes."  
  
"Yes Inu Yasha does have a pension for being indecisive and putting his foot in his mouth."  
  
"I can't believe he put Kagome-chan through so much over his dead ex."  
  
"And it doesn't help that Kagome-chan is her reincarnation either."  
  
"-Hmph- and I thought Sesshoumaru was bad about living in the past."  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"Mmm? Oh nothing. I think I'm going to have to have a little chat with Inu-chan sometime today."  
  
"No offense Yuki-sama but how are you going to talk him into making up his mind?"  
  
Yuki grinned and winked, "Oh I have my ways believe me. I _am_ his big sister after all."  
  
Sango seemed skeptical, "Yes well Sesshoumaru is also his big brother and he doesn't seem very good at talking Inu Yasha into anything."  
  
"Yes well we both know Sesshoumaru and I are very different now don't we?"  
  


***

  
  
"Hikaru-san would you like to join us for lunch?"  
  
The almost human hanyou rolled her eyes, _The one day I really want to be left alone and they just keep coming!_ "No thank you Kagome. I'm not hungry."  
  
"An hanyou that's not hungry? Boy you _are_ differnet from Inu Yasha."  
  
"Yes well whoever told you all hanyou were the same?" Hikaru snapped.  
  
She heard Kagome giggle, "Well you're both rather snippy ain't ya? I'll bring you some food later Hikaru-san."  
  
The hanyou girl just stared at the door. _What a strange, strange girl._  
  


***

  
  
"Inu-chan, will you come with me for a moment?" Inu Yasha stiffened at his elder sister's request. They had just finished lunch and the tone in her voice did not bode well for him.  
  
"uhh.. What for aneeue?"  
  
Yuki grinned mischievously, making Inu Yasha even more nervous. "Oh I just want to talk to you about something."   
  
Oh yeah, Inu Yasha was in trouble, big time, and he knew it. "And what's that aneeue?"  
  
"Oh you'll see," she smiled, as though she was giving him a surprise gift, one he was sure he would not like. "Come along now Inu-chan." She grabbed one of Inu Yasha's arms and half dragged him away from the table. The other's watched blankly the entire time.  
  
"What do you think that was all about Kagome-sama?" Miroku asked.  
  
She blinked, "Not a clue."   
  
Sango took a sip of her tea, "I believe she plans on trying to talk him into letting go of the past."  
  
"We know she's good," Shippo interjected, "but I don't think she's _that_ good!"  
  
"She's Sesshoumaru-sama's big sister!" Rin announced, "If Sesshoumaru-sama can do anything so can she!"  
  


***

  
  
"So Inu-chaaaan," The sickenly sweet way she said his name, the way she overdid it, set of major warning signals for the hanyou. "Why didn't you tell me about the whole Kikyou, Kagome thing?"  
  
Inu Yasha paled, "How did you-"  
  
"Oh you know I have my ways, I just have to wonder why you're so caught up on your old love." The hanyou was vaguely surprised, most people would ask him why he loved a corpse.  
  
"She was the first, the first person after mother died to treat me like a person. Like I wasn't just a monster or a half-breed. How can anyone expect me to just forget her?"  
  
"Ahhh young love," Yuki sighed.  
  
"Don't patronize me Yuki, do you even know what it's like to love someone?"  
  
"What did you say?" she asked her voice perfectly even.  
  
Then he continued with Inu Yasha standard procedure: open mouth, insert foot. "I asked if you knew what real love was aneeue? If you're trying to talk to me about this you damn well better know what you're talking about. I know you well enough, you keep people at arm's length with this ridiculous act. Your exactly like Sesshoumaru only you take it to the other extreme. Have you ever been serious with anyone?"  
  
He knew he had made a mistake when his sister's eyes narrowed and glowed dangerously, he had never seen Yuki angry before. Suffice to say it scared the crap out of him. "You insolent little pup!" she growled, he backed away for a moment before she grabbed the front of his kimono. "What do you know of me other than what you have seen? And how often had you seen me once your mother took you away? You were too young to understand then and too inexperienced to understand now."  
  
"Inexperienced?"  
  
Before he could continue she cut him off. "Yes. You have had one real relationship in your life Inu Yasha. ONE."  
  
"But Kago-"  
  
"Don't." the look in her eyes cut him off faster than her voice. She let go of his clothes. Her voice was steadily calming down as she spoke. "You are living in the past Inu Yasha. You want with Kagome what you had with Kikyou, but what you must remember that Kagome is not Kikyou. You may have had Kikyou, but the same need not apply to Kagome, even though she is her reincarnation she is not bound to the same fate as her predecessor. I can understand your attraction to her, dare I say it, Kagome is a unique creature. However all you seem to want is the Kikyou in her. She would never be happy with you Inu Yasha, she would constantly wonder if she were just a replacement." She sighed and put one arm around her young brother, pulling him to her side in a half hug. Her voice was almost motherly now. "Inu Yasha, you will never meet another like your first love. But that doesn't mean there's not someone else out there who's better for you, who will you make you happier."  
  
"She wanted me to be human for her," he muttered.  
  
Yuki blinked, not expecting him to say that. "Do you like being human? Do you like it when the new moon comes?" She felt Inu Yasha shook his head, and she leaned her head atop his. "Were you willing to be human, for the rest of your life, for her?" he nodded. "Why?"  
  
"Because it would make her happy, set her free from guarding the shikon no tama. Because then she would get to be human."  
  
"And what does she want now?"  
  
"For me to go to hell, with her... where I belong."  
  
Yuki was appalled at the ease with which he accepted this. "Inu-chan listen to me, and please think about this before you react." She took a steadying breath, trying to sort out how best to word her next statement for her darling half-brother. "Kikyou was not as nice a person as you believe, she was selfish."  
  
He almost pulled away from her to defend the undead miko, but she asked him to think first, and he had listened. So instead he asked "How do you mean?"  
  
"She wanted you to become human _for her_ she wants you to die _for her_. Did she ever once ask you if that's what you wanted?"   
  
The hanyou thought back, _"You could become human.. then the jewel would be gone... and I could live a normal life."_ Nowhere in there was a, _"the jewel would also dissappear if you wanted to be youkai instead,"_ or suggestions of the like. He sighed, "No."  
  
"Love isn't about getting what you want Inu-chan, it's about wanting to please someone else, the same with friends as with loves. It's being happy as long as they are happy. She wanted to make you human, so she could live a normal life. So she could be happy, not you. I can tell you loved her Inu Yasha and Kikyou may have thought she loved you, but think about it. After the jewel was gone and her duty complete what makes you think she would have stayed with you Inu-chan?"  
  
His eyes were beginning to water, the possibility of what she said hurt. "She loved me aneeue..." The way he said it sounded as if he wasn't so sure if he believed it anymore. Had Kikyou been using him all along? Just because she didn't like her lot in life?  
  
"I hate to say this to you Inu-chan, but it seems to me she was using you, whether or not she was completely aware of it, she was using you for her own happiness. She loved you for the happiness _you _could bring _her_, not because she wanted to make _you_ happy."   
  
"I feel like a fool," She heard a tear land on his fire-rat fur, she brought a hand up and rubbed the top of his head between the ears.   
  
"It's alright Inu-chan, we each have our turn to play the fool in love. But do not blame Kikyou, she was probably fooling herself as well."  
  
His voice was hardly a whisper, "Hai aneeue."  
  
"Do not fret pup. It may take a bit longer but you just have to get over Kikyou, which I imagine will help you get over Kagome and Sesshie." She heard a small growl emit from his throat and giggled. "I never said you had to _like _it by the way. But once you move on you'll find a nice girl that will be perfect for you I'm sure."  
  
"Sesshoumaru said I should hook up with Hikaru," he grumbled like a boy who was told he had to dance with his bratty little sister.  
  
"Well she is a hanyou like you, what else did he say about that?"  
  
"He said that us sparring was like courting for youkai, or even," he blushed, "foreplay." Yuki couldn't help herself, she burst out laughing, "What's so damn funny?"  
  
"I'm sorry Inu-chan but I never knew Sesshou could be be such a good story teller!"  
  
Inu Yasha nearly chocked, "WHAT!?"  
  
"You mean you actually believed him!? Oh Inu-chan you are so gullible! ahahaha.. Foreplay! HA! That's rich!"  
  
"You mean he _lied_ about that?!"  
  
"Let's just say he was teasing you," Yuki said, still trying to control her laughter. "I know that with _some_ youkai the foreplay thing is true, but it is definitely not true with _all _youkai."  
  
"I swear to kami I'm going to kill him," he growled.  
  
"Oh Inu-chan," she sighed, pulling him back to her side. "you're so cute."  
  
"I am not," he grumbled, which only seemed to proved her point.  
  
Yuki simply laughed.  
  


***

  
  
"I see, you may go now Juutsuma." As the tiger left Sesshoumaru looked out his window at this part of the western lands. He took a deep breath, taking in the mountain air. Yes this would take a little getting used to, the air smelled different here, as was the view. Where he could once see his gardens out his window there was now a vast plain of grass and some woods. Oh well, he never really minded where it was he rest his head. Though it was likely that he would miss his own home.  
  
He took a talisman out from the folds of his sleeve. He ran a finger over the runes on the simple silver disk and closed his eyes. Focusing on the item and it's counter part an image of Kagome entered his mind. As he was shown, Kagome was currently playing with Rin and Shippo in the garden. A small smile tugged at his lips when the two children she had just been chasing tackled her and assaulted her with tickles. He wasn't quite sure _what_ they were doing but at least they were still safe and having fun. _Apparently all is well,_ he thought before the memory of his dream and the danger it proposed came back, _for now_.  
  


***

  
  
Night had fallen over the Western lands, a small group of youkai scent's concealed by magic gathered outside Sesshoumaru's castle. But inside the guests and residents inside remained unaware. "Yo Feathers!"  
  
"What?" _Kami can't I get a moment alone?_  
  
"I got some food here, ya want some?"   
  
"You what?" Hikaru was very surprised, Inu Yasha, being courteous? Either being in a caslte environment was rubbing off on him or he was up to something.  
  
"I said I got some food here wench! You want it or not?" he growled, he was only doing this because Yuki had insisted. _"The poor girl hasn't been out of her room all day. She simply_ must _be hungry by now don't you think?"_  
  
She grinned, _So much for him being courteous. But I am hungry._ "Yeah Sure, come on in."  
  
He walked in closing the door behind him, a tray in one hand, and a scowl on his face. She was on the floor strecthing, wearing a tight pair of pants and a gi top. A jet black pony tail hung over her shoulder, this time it was real hair and not the feathers the usually sprouted from the top of her head. Her irises did not take up so much room in her eyes anymore and had deepened to a mahogany brown, barely remiscient of their normal vibrant red. Her features were now also more delicate, no longer as sharp in appearance. Her lips were a bit thicker and her eyes were more narrow, no longer so round as to try and imitate a hawk's eye. "What are you doing?"  
  
"What does it look like? I'm strecthing?"  
  
"No shit, but why?"  
  
Hikaru sighed, she rolled back on the floor and did a kippup, "Just because I am human for a day is no reason for me to stop my normal workout."  
  
The look on Inu Yasha's face clearly said "Huh?"  
  
She shook her head and took the try from him, "You can learn to hide very well as a hanyou, but hiding doesn't always work as well as you would like. Sometimes you need to fight as a human anyway."  
  
"Don't I know it?" he grinned, getting an idea in his head.  
  
"I'm sure you do." The moment she put the tray down he lunged for her, just to test her reflexes. He landed face first in the side of the futon. He turned and there she was, hands on either side of the tray and doing a handstand on the table (remember they are low to the ground) and a grin on her face. "And so do I." She got off the table and backed away from it, her hands up in a guarding position.  
  
Inu Yasha grinned, "So you wanna spar after all."  
  
"Why Inu Yasha, what ever gave you the idea that I didn't?"  
  
About two minutes later, about a minute and a half longer than he expected her to last, Inu Yasha had the human-hanyou in a lock. Holding her hands behind her back with one and the other arms wrapped around her neck. "You're tough I'll give you that, but what do you do when I gotcha like this?"  
  
"Usually," she breathed, "This is where my brother intervenes."  
  
"So you're brother guards you at your time?"  
  
She nodded, "I may be cocky but I'm not stupid." They stood there a moment longer, "Would you mind letting me go? I'm sure my food's getting cold."  
  
"Huh? oh yeah, sure." He did so and she began working the kinks out of her neck.  
  
She turned to him and bowed, "Thanks for the spar Inu Yasha, see you tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah, g'night," he said as he went to leave the room.  
  
"Night." The door shut behind him and Inu Yasha looked at it a moment. Was it just him or was he more confident around the fellow hanyou? _Sesshoumaru couldn't be right could he?..._ He thought about it then shook his head, _Nah! What does he know about me anyway?_   
  


***

  
  
"What is the point of me wearing these again?" Sesshoumaru asked staring at the swim trunks Kagome had given him.  
  
She sighed turning to him, "You're supposed to wear them so you don't go swimming around in your birthday sui- EEK!" She immediately turned back around her eyes over her face.  
  
"What?" There he was just standing there, stark naked save for the swim trunks he held infront of him.  
  
"Just put them on!"  
  
"It is not like you haven't seen me in the nude before," he said while putting on the odd garment.  
  
"I haven't!" she turned around hands over her eyes and her face beat red.  
  
"Oh really?" he asked, obviously referring to the night when he bandaged her arm.  
  
"Yeah well I didn't mean to and I tried really really hard not to look!"  
  
He stepped up to her on the beach and pulled her hands away from her eyes, "You _tried_ not to look?"  
  
Her blush deepened, "No! That's not what I meant, and you know it!"  
  
He chuckled lightly, then slid a finger under the strap of her swimsuit. "Now what is it we are supposed to do in these very inappropriate garments again?" He purred.  
  
"Go swimming." She answered plainly  
  
He raised a brow.  
  


***

  
  
With midnight fast approaching and most of those in the caslte asleep the three youkai lept into the compound. They had been watching long enough and now was the time to act. They had a general idea where the human woman's room was and that she supposedly had a slight bit of youki on her. So you can imagine their slight confusion when there were three rooms next to each other that had both female human scents and traces of youki in them. Since it was nearly midnight Hikaru's demon blood and youki were returning, Kagome of course still had her youkai traits and Kirara's close proximity to Sango were all being sensed. Not willing to take any chances the youkai decided to take all three.  
  


***

  
  
He looked around for her in the water when all of a sudden Sesshoumaru felt a tug on his leg as he was unexpectedly pulled underwater. Once there he opened his eyes to she her grinning face before him. He wrapped his arms around Kagome and kissed her, breaking the surface as he broke the kiss. She laughed, then abruptly stopped. "What is it?"  
  
Her eyes squinted in thought, "I don't know... something doesn't feel right all of a sudden."  
  
"You mean here?"  
  
"No.. I don't but I think someone's-" Suddenly she faded out. Kagome had been woken up.  
  


***

  
  
Seshoumaru's eyes bolted open, he immediately reached for the talisman and focused on Kagome. She was already unconscious again by the time the image presented itself in his mind. Someone one was carrying her, but he could not see who, which meant he did not know the person. His amber eyes glowed in the darkness of his room and a growl emitted from his throat. His hands clenched into the fists, the one that didn't hold the talisman began to bleed. _So it has begun._  
  
---------------------------------------------  
**Next Chapter:** Hikaru's Past and three pissed off children of Inutaisho  
  
**Hika-chan:** -whew- well that took me long enough didn't it? I got don't know why but I got some more inspiration when I finally got to see the Inu Yasha movie! YAY! It was pretty cool (but not enough Sesshoumaru like in this chapter), but it was cool. Sesshoumaru knew Kagome's name! I was like "wow". Anyway yeah, I don't where the whole thing with Kikyou came from but it makes sense now that I think about it. Once again no promises on when the next chapter will come out, now if you don't mind I have to go study for my Art History exam.... yeah.. rrriiight. ^_^' 


	11. Memories and Dreams

So sorry still don't own Inu Yasha, though I do believe a bidding war has begun, I'm winning but alas only in my dreams...  
  


**Once In A Blue Moon**  
An Inu Yasha Fanfic by Hika-chan  
**Chapter 11: Memories and Dreams**

  
  
_I was seven or so when it happened, I'm not quite sure I was so young after all. I lived with Nataku and my mother then. She was human, with some measure of power, though I am not sure the extent. At our births her and father sealed our youkai blood to a degree, so we would be spared a measure of discrimination. But certain things could not be hid, like my brother's white hair and my crimson eyes. It is interesting how no one in the village had ever expected anything of us odd looking children or of our father before he left us, for reasons I still do not know. Despite the lack of a male head in our home my mother was respected, a skilled and successful midwife. Nataku and I used to play with the other children, run and play and help my beautiful mother in the house.  
  
We were so happy.  
  
I used to be a very happy child.  
  
I fear I will never be so again.  
  
Then a lone visitor proved to me the stupidity of humans. At least of them in general. A single stranger, how I still long to find him and tear him apart for what he did to us.  
  
As was our normal behavior then, my brother and I were playing with the other children when he noticed us. My brother's snow white hair, mine red streaked and our strange eyes that seemed to glow. Soon rumors were flying about that my mother had given birth to evil youkai children, though admittedly the youkai part was true. One would think by the way the villagers suddenly turned on us that we were the strangers. The stupid superstitious humans that they were, dragged us from our once happy home, screaming obscenities and prayers for my mother's "tainted" soul.  
  
I remember the look of fear and sorrow in some of the women's eyes, and in the eyes of the fellow children, our friends. They wanted to speak up, to defend us, but they could not. They could not bring themselves to dishonor their fathers and husbands. I cannot blame the children, they were, after all, just kids like myself, unsure and confused as to what was going on. Only Nataku and I were utterly terrified as well. I do blame the women though, those who my mother helped while with-child and during childbirth. To scared to help their long time friend. They were not women, they were scared animals used for breeding and housework. Pitiful obedient creatures who aided in my mother's death with only tears as their protest, if even that.  
  
We were terrified, crying and screaming, clawing at the arms that held us as we watched the stones one by one strike my mother.  
  
Crying.  
  
Screaming.  
  
Scratching.  
  
Clawing.  
  
Flailing our helpless arms desperately to reach her, just wanting to save her. Knowing somewhere in our desperate young minds that we would be next.   
  
Stone by stone she was stuck down.  
  
Stone by stone we too would fall.  
  
Stone by stone our blood would decorate the ground.  
  
And stone by stone we would be buried underneath the hate and fear a single stranger brought to our village.  
  
At one point after I do not know how long we broke free from our captors, or were let go... I do not know which. We ran desperately, tired and tripping over nothing to our mother's side. We called to her, cried to her, screamed for her, red hot tears I can still feel running down my cheeks on the days of the full moon.   
  
Crying.  
  
Screaming.  
  
Begging.  
  
But she made no move, her face and clothes stained dark red, her blank eyes would not look at us, only past us, through us. But they were not looking. They saw nothing at all.  
  
Because dead eyes cannot see.  
  
I didn't understand it at the time, I didn't know what death was. That was the day I learned. That day I learned what death was and the day I learned how to hate. It would not have mattered if my father had come a minute later.  
  
I do not remember but father tells me the rocks were just being thrown. It was at that point I felt him, his presence and the wind. The wind that tunneled up around us like a protective wall taking all the rocks with it before dropping them haphazardly on the surrounding mob of mindless simpletons. They scattered like frightened cattle, dust and debris blinding them from the sight of my brother and I still crying over our mother's broken body.  
  
And in the middle of the storm with us stood my father, who gently pried our hands from my sweet mother and brought us into his arms. I clung to him desperately, not knowing at the time who he was, only that he was safe to be with. The winds picked up my mother and brought her with us as I cried. I only remember that I cried.  
  
And as the noon day sun reached it's zenith my streaks disappeared and my eyes darkened to mahogany. But I only remember tears.   
  
And so forever will the day of the full moon haunt my years..._  
  


***

  
  
"Hikaru-san," she whispered as loudly as she dared, "Hikaru-san, wake up."  
  
"Okaasan," the hanyou moaned half awake.  
  
Kagome now recognized what she was smelling, the salty wetness of tears. She shook the hanyou girl a little more. "Hikaru-san."  
  
Wet red eyes opened in the darkness, "Kagome-san?" she blinked away the tears and sleepiness from her eyes, but her head still felt a little dizzy. "Kagome-san what are you doing in my-" She stopped and examined her surroundings. This was not her room. "Where are we?"  
  
Kagome sat back on her heels, it was at this point Hikaru noticed that both of them, and Sango who still appeared unconscious, were each wearing a nemaki, likely the same ones each had gone to sleep in. The miko, she noticed, also had a nasty looking bruise on one of her cheeks. The hunter did not look that well off either, her bruises probably the reason for her unconsciousness. "I'm not sure exactly." The miko gestured to a set of bars at the side of the alcove in which they sat. Two torches were on the opposite wall, their only source of light. "We're obviously prisoners in a cave somewhere though."  
  
"Do you think we can break out?" she whispered back, barely heard over the voices coming from elsewhere in the cave.  
  
Kagome sighed, "I don't think so. We might be able to get out of the cell but I don't think we could make it that far."  
  
Hikaru raised a brow, "And why is that?"  
  
"Because, from what I have been able to hear and smell, there are three, maybe four full grown inu youkai out there. The three of us with our weapons could get past one, two at the most. But there is no way we can take out three in our pajamas."  
  
The hanyou sighed and nodded, "I see your point... so what do we do?"  
  
"We wait," Kagome said so quietly Hikaru had to read her lips to be sure of what she said. "And try to come up with a plan."  
  


***

  
  
"Hey feather's come on!" Inu Yasha called, banging on the door. "You cheated me out of a sparing match yesterday so I want a good one now!" He pounded on the door again. "Wake your lazy ass up dammit!" He stood there a moment longer in silence then cocked hishead towards the door listening. Nothing, not even the sound of her moving around in bed. He took a deep breath and opened the door, hoping he wouldn't get smacked for this before reminding himself that Hikaru was nothing like Kagome. _And thank the Kami too, the last thing I need is another woman smacking me around.  
  
But isn't that the point of her sparring with you?_ A voice in his head asked.  
  
The hanyou made a face, _No dumbass the point of sparring is to sharpen our skills!_  
  
He was somewhat surprised to find the room empty. Had she already gone ahead to the dojo? Or maybe to get breakfast? He was about to leave when a stray scent caught his nose, curious he followed it to her bed. The salty smell that lay where her head had been. _Tears?_ He stood up straight, scratching his head confused. _Why the hell would she of all people be cry- _He stopped when he noticed something else.  
  
_Her swords..._  
  
They were still on the dresser. He walked over to the closet then and pulled open the wooden doors open, Her fighting clothes and her usual outfits were still in there. _What the hell?_  
  
Then his sensitive ears picked up a slight whine and growl from the next room over. "Kirara?" The Hanyou left the room quickly and without thinking ran right into Sango's room without knocking. Kirara lay against one wall off the room, a large gash along her side. The door to the closet above the cat youkai was cracked, likely what she got thrown into. A good portion of the rest of the room was wrecked too. He rushed over the saber cat and knelt by her "Kirara! what happened? Where's Sango!?" The small youkai simply whined and licked his hand. "How the hell did this happen without any of us waking up?"  
  
"A silence spell."  
  
Inu Yasha turned towards the door, Yuki stood there a rare and serious look on her face. "What?"  
  
"I can smell the magic in the air, they probably used a concealment spell to hide their scent and youki as well, but for obvious reasons that's harder to smell."  
  
Had he not already been told a long time ago that hanyou could not smell magic clearly like full blooded youkai, Inu Yasha would have asked why he didn't smell it. His eyes narrowed, "Who did they take Yuki?"  
  
Yuki closed her eyes a moment, pinpointing all the auras in the palace. She then stretched her perception a bit further outside, incase one of those missing went for a walk. "They took three, Sango, Hikaru, and Kagome." Yuki opened her eyes to see her half-brother growling.  
  


***

  
  
Meanwhile Sesshoumaru was in a similar emotional state as his brother, however he had to remain in more control, at least in outward appearances. The soon to be Lord of the Western Lands wanted nothing more than to rage and kill those who had dared make a move against him in such a dishonorable manner instead of confronting him up front. Unfortunaely he had no evidence of who was to blame. At the same time a small part of him still wondered why he was so mad that Kagome had been taken.  
  
How was it that, in the space of a mere five weeks or so, he had gone from barely noticing the miko's existence to asking her to be his mate (though she had yet to answer)? It must have been the dreams he reasoned, for there had been little to do in all that time alone together but talk. In that time he had seen all angles of her personality. The silent patience, the fiery temper, her willing stubbornness, her understanding and acceptance. He in turn had shown her the parts of him that none had seen in decades, his attitudes and simple desires that he kept hidden away from the real world for fear of losing control. Slowly he had allowed himself to relax, first with simple straight-faced teasing, then allowing himself small smiles. Before he had realized it he was laughing with her and telling her of all the pointless stupid things he did as a pup that he swore he would never tell anyone ever again.   
  
But he told her. For where else could a secret be safest kept, except for in a dream? Where the dreamer would rarely, if ever, realize it as a truth.  
  
Sesshoumaru was amazed at how childish he allowed himself to be with her, how much younger he felt when the outside world didn't seem to matter. And while he was with her it didn't. He was even more surprised that, once he realized that Kagome was his Blue Moon, that he was not disappointed, that he only wanted to be with her more. Now that he could really feel her, touch her, smell her. He almost smiled upon recalling his actions the other morning. He was so consumed with the fact that it was her, that she was really before him that he forgot he was awake. His heart had beat frantically with excitement that he had found her. What was more he was playful, he even gave Inu Yasha advice that was hidden under his (not so obvious) teasing. She had made him experience life again.  
  
And now someone was trying to take that away.  
  
He was about to send for Jaken to deliver a message to his castle when a not completely unexpected message came from his sister. _"Sesshoumaru we have a problem."_  
  
She used his full name, this must be serious, _"I know. Kagome is missing isn't she?"_  
  
Yuki blinked, _"Yes, but she is not the only one."_  
  
_"Oh?"  
  
"No, Sango and Hikaru are missing as well."  
  
"Do you have any idea what happened?"  
  
"Someone came in last night with a concealment spell, and kidnapped them, we don't have numbers. However I think a caster or some other magic item was involved."  
  
"Such as?"  
  
"Kirara was injured and the state of Sango's room suggests that there was a short scuffle which should have woken up someone. After smelling the magic I believe it was a silence spell. Kagome's room also has some residual magic, I think she was trying to protect herself but it doesn't seem as though it lasted long."  
  
"And Hikaru?"_  
  
Yuki sighed, _"She didn't even get a chance to fight."_  
  
Sesshoumaru raised a brow, _"That seems rather suspicious."  
  
"Well yes it would be except..."  
  
"Except?  
  
"Well when I sniffed around her room I found out something."  
  
"And what's that?"_ Sesshoumaru asked, his patience thinning.  
  
_"She was human last night."_  
  
The Youkai lord took a long steadying breath and brought some fingers up to rub the bridge of his nose. _The one night she may have been useful and she was human_, He thought annoyed. _"Anything else you can tell me?"  
  
"I attempted to get to Kagome's mind before calling you, unfortunately I am either not familiar enough with her, or there is a ward about her which prevents these such communication spells. I have asked baba and jiji here to look into a way for me to transfer the spell to you so you can find her, since you are obviously more familiar with her mind than I"  
  
"No one knows about the dreams but you, Kagome and I correct?"  
  
"As far as I know, but I think she might have told Inu Yasha."_  
  
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and kept himself from muttering a curse,"_We'll have to hope they don't know about it and that it is not blocked. I will try to speak with her tonight."  
  
"Sounds like a good idea to me."  
  
"Contact me again later Yuki."  
  
"Hai... Oh and Sesshie?"_ uh-oh she had used the nickname again.  
  
_"Yes?"_ he asked, somewhat cautiously.  
  
_"That foreplay thing, that was a good one."_  
  
She severed the link immediately after that, leaving her brother with a slightly surprised, before he shook his head, almost smiling if there weren't more pressing matters. _They took Kagome, Hikaru and the hunter. Three mature human females...They were obviously not after Rin then. Someone must have told them about my choosing Kagome, and the assailants must not have known which human female she was. But then of course who was the one to tell?_ It was possible that someone may have heard Jaken muttering and moping about it while walking down the halls. Sesshoumaru dismissed that theory, he had told the toad that he would not speak a word of it while in his father's castle under penalty of immense pain. The toad was to fearful and blindly loyal to him to do that. _It must be the traitor._ He thought darkly, his hackles rising. _But who is it? And more to the point how the hell am I going to get out of here to save Kagome?_  
  
-----------------------------------  
Next Chapter: A traitor reveled (but only to yu guys the characters don't get to know :P), and we get to meet Nataku, Hikaru's brother.  
  
12/16/02- I meant to put this update up yesterday (or two days ago I guess since it's one in the morn) but I've been busy packing and playing Hackmaster :)  
Umm... what else? well I'm still packing and cleaning, moving, and throwing stuff out, and when I get home I will probably be cleaning, throwing stuff out, unpacking and doing laundry (gotta bring dirty clothes home from collage, it's a must!) however I do have some portions of the next chapter done, but not a whole lot to be honest. So there's not likely to be anything else before X-mas at least (AHH! I have to shop too!) *hika-chan spazzes and runs around in circles before she runs into a wall. Sits up with little Shippo and Kurama foxes flying around her head.* See ya later guys uunnn *passes out* 


	12. Dead Eyes

Guess what? Yep that's right they still don't belong to me! Big flippin' surprise ne?  
  


**Once In A Blue Moon**  
An Inu Yasha Fanfic by Hika-chan  
**Chapter 12: Dead Eyes**  


  
Hikaru grinned as they heard the dog youkai out in the larger cave yell and shout as they tried to figure out where the sudden twister came from. "They shouldn't be able to hear us with all the wind whipping around in there," Kagome grinned back, "So have we got a something?"  
  
"Shouldn't Inu Yasha and Kirara be able to track us?" Sango asked, "Can't we just wait it out?"  
  
Hikaru shook her head, "I have studied some magics. My father told me about a spell once that masks scents. They probably won't find us that way."  
  
The hunter got another idea, "Magic? Do you know how we can contact the others?"  
  
Kagome bit her lip, she had a way to talk to Sesshoumaru, but she had to wait until night because she highly doubted he took naps (though the sudden image did strike her as cute). She didn't really want to say anything either, she felt the dreams were theirs alone. While she pondered that Hikaru seemed to be thinking as well. "I can reach someone outside, but not anyone you know."  
  
"Then who?" Kagome queried.  
  
"I can only use the winds long distance, and only someone else who can use them would be able to hear it. He should also be able to track the wind back to us. My brother."  
  
The miko laughed a bit, "Does anyone who comes along ever manage to _not_ involve their families in our business?" Sango gave a small smile and Hikaru leveled her gaze at the girl. "heh heh.. tough crowd."  
  
"So is that what we are doing?"  
  
Kagome nodded, "For now at least, until we can come up with something else."  
  


***

  
  
He was in the garden, looking around but not really seeing what surrounded him. He only registered his surroundings enough to know it was different from his own garden. Otherwise his mind was busy, barely controlling the part of him that wanted to rage and tear apart those who had stolen Kagome. While at the same time he was trying to come up with an excuse that the council would accept for him to leave. If he could not come up with a good enough reason it could give the council reason to take away his rightful title. He closed his eyes thinking, _Kami I hate politics._  
  
"Sesshoumaru-sama?"  
  
"As quiet and as swift as a cat, ne Makumba?"  
  
She grinned, "Well cheetahs are cats Sesshoumaru-sama."  
  
He turned to her, "Is there something you wanted to tell me?"  
  
"I was wondering if you were alright, you seem a bit on edge."  
  
"It is nothing."  
  
"Had I not grown up along side you Sesshoumaru," she said dropping the honorific, "I might believe that. Besides, I have a bad feeling. Something doesn't smell right."  
  
"You sense it to then?"  
  
She nodded, "Though not as keenly as you I would guess. But I do not like nor do I trust that youkai your uncle keeps as an advisor."  
  
"Yes, Kuroinu and I are not fond of each other."  
  
The cheetah raised a brow, "When did I miss this turn of events?"  
  
Sesshoumaru, tilted his head slightly, "We may be almost the same age Makumba, but that does not mean that you would know of all the most important details of my life."  
  
The cat grinned, "Yeah, but I can try."  
  


***

  
  
_"Nataku..."_  
  
The hanyou stopped mid air, "Sis?"  
  
The one-way message came through a moment later, _"Oniisan it seems Sesshoumaru-sama has some people who don't like him and for whatever reason, me and two of his other guests were kidnapped by three youkai. You need to follow the wind back to us then bring Yuki-sama and the others at Sesshoumaru-sama's castle back to help us."_  
  
Nataku shook his head. He opened his ice blue eyes and grinned, "Just can't keep yourself out of trouble ne, Hikaru?" he muttered to himself. Flying off on red-tipped wings the hanyou follwed the winds to his little sister, _Hopefully she was captured with some women more charming than she is._   
  


***

  
  
"Hey! Are you gonna feed us or what!? I'm starving over here!" Kagome shouted.  
  
One of the three dog youkai growled, "Why can't we just kill them?"  
  
"You know Kuroinu will kill us if we do," another said, "They're the bait remember?"  
  
"Yes but only one of them is, and I'm sure it's not the one with the wings so why don't we just kill her?"  
  
"Ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall~" The purposely off key voice echoed into the main part of the cave.  
  
"It wouldn't matter," the other said.  
  
"Ninety-nine bottles of beer~"  
  
"She's not the one making all the noise!"  
  
"Take one down, pass it around~"  
  
"Can we at least knock her out?"  
  
"Ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall~"  
  
"I'll take care of it," the brown one said.  
  
"Ninety-eight bottles of beer on the wall~"  
  
"Hello"  
  
"Ninety-eight bottles of beer~"  
  
"What will it take to get you to shut up?"  
  
"I'll keep singing till ya bring us some food~" she sang in the tune of that part of the song. "Ninety-seven bottles of beer on the wall~"  
  
"Alright," he said, "You shut up now and I'll bring you something."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yes," he said with a smile Kagome did not feel she could trust. "Now you be quiet until I get back."  
  
"Ok!" Kagome smiled _way _to cheerfully. For a moment Sango thought the miko may have taken some lessons from Yuki.  
  
"You're not really going to bring them food are you?" One of the dog's companions asked.  
  
"I am," He grinned, "but whether or not they'll eat it is another story."  
  


***

  
  
"Kuroinu-sama," she began slowly.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"The mission was successful, the girl is in your possession."  
  
"Ahh yes very good. In a matter of days I will be the one to rule the Western Lands, not that undeserving brat."  
  
"You must be wary Kuroinu-sama," she said, stepping up behind him, "Sesshoumaru is quick to reap his vengeance. He will attack you as soon as he finds out."  
  
"No," he said taking a hold of the hand that landed on his shoulder. The hand that belonged to his love-blinded pawn. "He will not, because if I die, his little woman will be dead before my body has cooled."  
  
Her arms went around him, hands resting on his chest as her head rested against his back. "I fear for your life, love, I do not wish your death. Sesshoumaru is strong, you know this."  
  
His placed a clawed hand over hers, "Yes that I do, but he is also smart. Smart enough to ask where his beloved is before trying to kill me. Smart enough to realized that he would ask about whether or not she is in danger." He turned to her, soothing her with his gaze. "Don't worry Youtei, everything is going according to plan."  
  
The hawk smiled lightly and placed a small kiss upon his lips. "Thank you my love... for setting my fears to rest."  
  


***

  
  
It was about an hour or so later when Kagome and Hikaru sensed the missing youkai guards return. Not long after their sensing could they, as well as Sango hear it. The mutterings and strangled cries of a man had interrupted their idle conversation. The miko's face paled as she saw the youkai dragging the man in by his top knot. He was perhaps in his mid-twenties. and it looked as though his arm was broken, complementing his split lip.  
  
"Well here you are ladies. I even brought you a fresh one."  
  
"What do you mean?" Kagome asked hoping against hope that he was not going to do what she thought. "You said you'd bring us some food." "Yes exactly," the dog said as he forced the human's face against the bars with a loud clang. "Food. What's the matter, you don't like the choice set before you? You don't like... what was your name again?" there was an almost unintelligible moan-gurgle that escaped his lips. "Ah yes you don't like Mikans? They're so good this season."  
  
"That's.. h.. he's not what I meant."  
  
"Well I'm sorry," he grinned maniacally, "But I'm not going out again." he pulled the man's head back again, giving the captives a good look at his bloodied visage. His face deformed by dirt and wounds, the most recent a likely broken nose inflicted by the bars of their prison. His half-lidded glazed eyes directed at the girls, begging for their help. At the same time though, those eyes held the knowledge of what would come. "It's a shame too, putting this good meal to waste."  
  
"No.. please don't." Kagome pleaded, "I'll be quiet.. I.. I promise."  
  
The youkai showed her his sharp teeth again, "Oh I know you will, because if you don't, I'll go out again." Then he put his hands on either side of the human's head as Kagome began to scream her protest. Her voice had barely escaped the confines of her throat as the man's neck was snapped. Kagome's hands hand barely reached the bar when his body fell bonelessly to the cold stone floor, one hand desperately outstretched as though to prevent what had already happened.   
  
Up until this moment the youkai had ignored the cell's other occupants, but he turned to them now. Sango's eyes burned with unshed tears and anger. Hikaru's eyes glowed bright crimson with only outrage as the wind picked up slightly outside the cave, she had to be careful, her powers were one of their few trump cards and she could not let them know they had it. "Let this be a warning to all of you," he grinned as he knelt by the body lifting it so that the dead eyes stared in Kagome's direction with him. "Know this girl I did not just take this man's life, but I took the time to cripple his child before him and his wife as well. I snuffed out his life and ruined his family's life. Bother us again and I will widow another woman, make another child fatherless, and ruin more lives by taking just one. Now I imagine you will no longer be so insolent."  
  
Kagome only stared at the dead eyes, wet hot tears streaming down her cheeks. The youkai put the body down then, making sure that it remain facing her, empty eyes staring into the cell.  
  


***

  
  
"My fault..." the school-girl whispered again. "My fault he killed him. My fault Mikan's dead."  
  
"Kagome-chan, please don't blame yourself," Sango said quietly, she tried to give a reassuring squeeze of her friend's shoulders. "It's not your fault." She had been trying to comfort her friend since she moved to the back wall of their prison some hours ago. But the young Miko only stared into the lifeless eyes that sat just outside of arms reach, so that neither of her fellow captives could close the man's eyes.  
  
"God why does he keep looking at me?" Kagome asked before burying her face against Sango. "I can't stand it!"  
  
Hikaru at the mean time was wondering if the girl had never seen death before. She hadn't been this bad at first, but after the first hour or so of the corpse staring into their cell Kagome had begun to crack. Hikaru had told her, repeatedly at first, that dead eyes cannot see. To try to ignore them, but the miko could not find it in herself to do so. Instead she kept obsessing over the fact. Of course the hanyou had to admit, if it wasn't for the miko's current state to distract her she would not be too comfortable with the dead eyes looking in her direction either.  
  
"I'm so sorry Mikan," Kagome muttered, peeking a look at the bloodied face before turning away again. The hanyou's lips twisted in disgust. Their captor had purposefully told them the man's name, just to add to the innocent miko's torture. She stood and walked over to the miko and the huntress. "You should go to sleep," Hikaru said, "Night has long since fallen by now I am sure. Your exhaustion would only make you more hysterical."  
  
She knelt before them, a hand before Kagome's mouth. Sango watched, seeing no effects other than Hikaru's eyes glowing faintly. Hikaru was careful, this was a trick she had perfected over time. Thinning the air around the person's face so that the lack of a sufficient amount air caused them to loose consciousness. "I am not hyster-" In those few seconds Kagome had passed out against her friend's shoulder. Sango was too busy making sure her unconcious friend was comfortable to notice Hikaru took a little longer to relinquished her grip on the element.  
  
"What in the seven hells is making her react like this?" Hikaru asked.  
  
"It is not so often humans are killed in front of us," Sango said, "And this is the first time Kagome has seen it as her fault."  
  
Hikaru held her tongue, she wanted to say that it was her fault, but that was not completely true. Kagome, it seems, had not often seen first hand how cruel youkai could really be. The "nicer" ones, such as her father and even Sesshoumaru it seemed, were in the minority among their kind. While admittedly there was a decent amount of them few would know it by their fearsome reputations.  
  


***

  
  
Nataku was just outside Sesshoumaru's castle, he had already been to the outside of the cave, not landing so he would not leave his scent behind on the ground. He sensed his sisters use of the air, taking only a moment to whisper to her. Whispering back she answered that she had only forced her one cellmate to sleep. That explained he told her he was going to retrieve the others.  
  
Now he stood there, still trying to figure out what he would say when he landed. He had to hope he would not be killed before he had a chance to explain. Just as he passed below the level of the wall, still on the outside, a red clad form jumped over the gates, a clawed hand grabbing his shoulder and a massive sword pulled back. Nataku flipped over in the air, flinging his attacker off, and turning himself upright again. The feathered hanyou had his own katana drawn before his feet touched the ground. "Who are you and why do you attack me without cause?"  
  
The white haired youkai snarled, "First who the hell are you and why did you arrive here unannounced!?"  
  
"Now Inu-Yasha please, you needn't be so rude." Both hanyous stopped and turned to the voice. Nataku simply stared at the most pale and beautiful youkai he had yet to lay eyes on. "I mean really I thought you would use your nose more often." She turned and smiled at the new arrival, "You are Hikaru's brother are you not?"  
  
Nataku blinked a moment, then smiled dashingly, "Yes I am, and you must be Yuki, for I have never seen one as snow white as you."  
  
She grinned, "Yes but it's a real bitch to keep clean. But tell us why are you here?"  
  


***

  
  
Sesshoumaru had not been asleep long when he finally noticed Kagome's presence on the dreamscape. What confused him was that she was "stationary" so to speak. She did not move to be towards him, so that their dreams overlapped into one. _Why isn't she coming for me?_ He wondered as he moved himself towards her. _She knows I will come for her, at least she should. Is something wrong perhaps?_ If it was possible in this type of travel he sped up.  
  
The youkai lord stared for less than a second when he found her, curled up in a corner of the dreamscape, rocking back and forth, red covered hands covering her head. "Stop looking at me," she murmured as he approached. He paused for only a moment as he realized she wasn't talking to him. A body made itself present in his view, sitting up against a wall, eyes staring in her direction. "I didn't mean to.. I didn't know... I'm sorry"  
  
"Kagome..."  
  
"Just please... stop staring at me."  
  
He knelt beside her, pain wrenching his heart at her obvious torture. "Kagome... blue... look at me."  
  
"Stop it!" She screamed, her arms flailed about and he reacted quickly catching her wrists to stop her from hurting herself, forgetting for the moment that they were asleep. It was then he noticed that the red coating her hands was blood. "Mikan.. please stop it."  
  
_She doesn't realize I'm here. _He moved himself directly in front of her face placing his hands on either side of her face. Taking a moment to take enough control of the world around him to banish the body. Her eyes were squeezed shut. "Kagome look at me."  
  
"No," she whimpered.  
  
He said her name more sternly, almost a command "Kagome."  
  
Slowly she began to open them, he felt another stab as she even held fear in this motion. Afraid to see what may before her. "Se- Sesshou?"  
  
"Yes my love. It's me," He kissed her forehead. Slowly, with snake-like tendrils the inky blackness that surrounded them gave way to a lush green field and a clear twilight sky. "I do not know what happened but you must think clearly. Whatever happened was not your fault." A cloth appeared from nowhere and he began to wipe off her hands.   
  
"But-"  
  
"No," he said again, his eyes not leaving hers, "Do not torture yourself. You need to keep yourself together ok?" He took a moment to look down at her now spotless clean hands. "See?"  
  
She stared, "But what happened to all the blood?"  
  
He held up the white cloth, it was as spotless as her hands, "There is none my blue moon. Never was." She looked at the cloth then up at him, unable to find words she threw her arms around him and sobbed against his chest. He held her close, as though to protect her from everything, whispering mindless reassurances into her ear. "Come now koishii, don't cry. You know I hate it when you cry." A half-sob half-laugh escaped her and he smiled. "Now as much as I would love to hold you all night there are more pressing matters. Where are you? Kagome."  
  
"We... we're in a cave somewhere."  
  
"Show me." The lush setting then faded into the one Kagome had not long ago left behind in the waking world. "Who are the others here? Can you show me your captors?"  
  
She nodded, "We've only seen one." The image of the youkai then appeared, holding up the body that Sesshoumaru had recognized from earlier in the dream. A growl made itself known in Sesshoumaru's chest. This one tried to torture his beloved. Oh he would pay dearly for it he would be sure."  
  
"_Oh Sesshie!_"  
  
As the voice pierced the scene Kagome's control over their surroundings wavered and Sesshoumaru took a moment to change them, creating the field around them again. "Yuki?"  
  
"_Oh there you are!_" She piped, her semi translucent form before them. Kagome thought she looked like she had bad reception with too much static. "_No wonder I couldn't find you, your mind's not exactly with your body._"  
  
"Y... Yuki-sama?"  
  
"_Oh hello Kagome-chan, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to be a dream crasher but I just thought Sesshie would like to know we found out where you were._" She looked around casually, "_I must say I never anticipated this kind of side effect._"  
  
"Where are they Yuki? And how did you find out?"  
  
Yuki grinned, "_Well it seems that Hikaru has some sort of link with her brother and led him to her and told him to get us for help. You should meet him Kagome, he is SUCH a charmer, nothing like his little sister at all._"  
  
"Where are they Yuki? I want to rip them apart myself."  
  
"Sesshou!"  
  
"_Sesshie!_"  
  
The youkai winced slightly at the dual assault from the two women. Both were quite surprised at the amount of emotion his voice actually had here (well at least Yuki was, Kagome was kinda used to it). And he looked at Kagome as if to say "You know what I meant."  
  
"_I know the spot, it's about a day on foot due south of your castle and a day-and-a-half on foot north-east of where you are now._"  
  
"So that would be in human measurements then?"  
  
"_Yep!_"  
  
"In that case I'll see you in an hour." Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome, "I'll be there soon koishii. Don't worry, you'll be safe again before the night is over." He leaned over to kiss her when-  
  
"_oohhh, That's so sweet! You have no idea how much it warms my heart to see you like this Sesshie!_"  
  
The youkai lord growled while Kagome giggled in his arms, "Aren't you gone yet?"  
  
The youkai bit her lip to hide her laughter then waved, her expression one of false embarrassment, "_I'm going, I'm going!_" That said the visage of the pale youkai faded from sight.  
  
"As I was saying..." he began somewhat haltingly, as Kagome realized he was embarrassed. "I will be with you again shortly." He brushed some of her hair aside, kissing the mark on her forehead. Times like this she forgot there was a separate world that had more then just the two of them in it.  
  
"Before you go I wanna tell you something."  
  
He tilted his head at her somewhat curiously, an eyebrow raised.  
  
"You look really cute when you're embarrassed."  
  
"I do not," he said sternly, though he could feel his rebellious cheeks begin to warm.  
  
"Do too!"  
  
"I, Sesshoumaru, am not 'cute'."  
  
"Oh, you're cheeks are all red, how kawaii!!"  
  
"I..." he began kissing one cheek, "-am _not_-" he kissed the other,"-'kawaii.' I-" He kissed her lightly yet somewhat slowly on the lips, then pressed his forhead to hers, staring into her eyes, "Am in a hurry to rescue you koishii. Remember?"  
  
"Alright, alright. We'll finish this later." He began to disentangle himself from her when she pulled him against her again, "But first one more kiss for good luck." After a few seconds Sesshoumaru blinked out of the dreamscape, giving her no warning and not even breaking the kiss before he left. "I hate it when he does that," Kagome muttered before trying to force herself back into the waking world.  
  
  
-------------------------------  
1/8/2003  
**Hika-chan**: Yep Sesshie crashed Kagome's nightmare, and yeah it's easier for him to alter things because he's always so in control. Obviously more so than Kagome in this instance where she was mentally scattered, besides he has a way of making things seem all better.  
**Yuki**: awww.. that's so sweet!  
**Nataku**: (sarcastically) yeah from what I hear he's quite the charmer.  
**Yuki**: Oh don't worry about it sweetie! You're cute too!  
**Nataku**: *blushes* Hey Hika, hurry up with the next chapter will ya? I wanna see my sister again. *turns to Yuki* And spend some more time with you as well my darling.  
**Hika-chan**: Hey don't rush me! I'm trying to find a job dammit! And I really don't wanna but I gotta do -nya!- *sticks out her tongue*  
  
**Next Chapter:** A rescue and umm... ok haven't thought through much else other than that yet... might just be a rescue.... 


	13. The Darker Side Of White

Where the hell have I been?! Well I wasn't getting the rights to Inu Yasha (too much paper work) Where I was goes at the end of the chappy so you can get to the goodness first!

Once In a Blue Moon

By Hika Chan

Chapter 13: The Darker Side of White 

            The moon shone down, nearly full, on the night time forest. Small mammals and birds who slept in the day were now about in these dark hours hunting for their meals and avoiding their predators. But those along a single path, predator and prey alike would scurry away and hide cautious to come out for some time as they are passed by a giant pale blur that exuded urgency and demanded respect. The great dog flew through the night, the light of the full moon illuminating its fur. If one were to see it one would think it a ghost for the glow that it cast, of course upon closer inspection one would see that it was indeed solid. Unless of course its passengars were spirits as well.

            "Why aren't you flying?" growled the red clothed figure to the one beside him, his unruly hair flying out behind him.

            "Because your sister is much faster than either of us. It's the fastest way to get there." Said the other figure who own white hair was much shorter.

            "Look now that we know where we are going why don't you go back to the castle and with there wit-"

            Ice blue eyes narrowed, obviously annoyed, "I am not a crippled youkai nor a human monk, and it is _my sister_ who is also captured, I have some stake in this as well."

            "The hell you do."

            A slight growl reverberated from the beast beneath them and both hanyou could easily understand the message. The growl translated to "Shut up, you're behaving like children."

            "Sorry aneeue."

            The winged figure seemed to bow his head, which was obviously unseen by the one he was bowing to. "Forgive me Yuki-sama. I should have known better than to argue infront of a lady." Yuki and her younger brother each snickered somewhat and blue eyes looked between the two confused. "What?"

            "Nataku, if there's one thing ya gotta know about aneeue, it's that she _loves_ a good debate." A small sound emmitted from her throat and her translator rolled his eyes, "But that's only because she's almost always right." Another sound and he shook his head, "You are not right _all _the time!... Why not? Because no one is always right.... Whaddya mean exception to every rule?"

            "She does have a point Inu Yasha."

            "What the fuck are you talinkg about? You don't even know what she's saying?"

            "How do you know that?"

            Golden eyes glared into blue and then turned to the blurring forest before them, attempting not to let an expression show on his face.

            "Are you pouting?"

            "no."

            "You are!"

            "Shut up!"

            "What're you pou-" -WHACK!- "ITE! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?"

            The giant white dog rolled her lilac eyes if nothing else this little trip was going to be entertaining.

***

            Meanwhile to the south and the west, past a small cave to where the dog was running but not quite to a grand castle that was set in the mountains ran another beast, but this one unladen and a little more gray in color then the other. While this dog also had urgency and demanded respect, this has an additional fury about it's otherwise calm appearance. It's feet pounded hard and fast against the forest floor desperate to reach it's destination. A destination that was less geographical and more organic. Images of black and azure haired girl with amazing blue eyes that changed in their intesity with her mood. One who he cared for. One who was his as much as he was hers. One who they tried to take from him. And _no one_ took what was his.

            No one.

***

            Miroku paced back and forth beside a very agitated Shippo while Rin sat beside them contentedly petting the wounded sabrecat. "When's Kagome gonna be back? Why couldn't we go? Do you think Inu Yasha and Yuki-sama will save her? What about Sesshoumaru? Is he gonna be mad she got kidnapped?"

            "Shippo," the monk cut in on the kit's questioning, "Shouldn't you be getting some sleep?"

            "But-"

            "Aren't you tired?"

            "Yes but I wanna wait for Kagome..."

            The little human girl got up and put a hand on her kit friend's shoulder. "Sesshoumaru-sama will bring Kagome-neechan back." Rin's smile and sure tone were enough to convince the young kit that her faith was justified. Of course children were easily convinced. Miroku on the other hand was not so easily swayed. Logically he knew that he had to stay behind to hold the fort as it were. But still the fact that Sango and Kagome were in danger and he was just sitting there made him nervous. _Calm down_, he told himself, _There are two taiyoukai and two hanyou going to save them... they'll be just fine._ Of course they would be, because technically that made three youkai versus three youkai.. three-and-a-half if one counted Hikaru, and three-and-a-half humans if you wanted to get technical

            The monk smiled, as much for his own benefit as for the childrens', "She's right Shippo, Inu Yasha, Sesshoumaru, Yuki and Nataku all went to save them. I'm sure they will bring them back alive and well."

***

            Some semi-concious part of Kagome's brain was annoyed. When Sesshoumaru left she had planned on waking up. Unfortunately she wasn't quite as good at it as she thought. So now that little fuzzy part of one's brain that let's them know they are dreaming was annoyed as she watched herself play Telephone with most of the people she knew from Sengoku Jidai.. though why they were all dressed up as various anime characters she would never know. On either side of her were Inu Yasha and Sesshoumaru, the brothers dressed as Dark Schneider and Vicious respectively. Next to Inu Yasha she couldn't figure out if the girl was Kikyou or Hikaru, who subsequently switched between Rei and Sailor Mars. Shippo was.. P-chan and Rin was Chihiro. Kagome sighed inwardly as she knew it made some twisted sort of sense that Miroku was Onizuka who sat beside a peeved looking Sango/Makoto. Kirara sat in sango's lap with two bushy tails and a carrot... Ryo-ohki. Then sat Yuki who for some reason unknown to Kagome was dressed as Alucard (and pulling it off quite well), red shades and all. And there was Jaken -heh- dressed as Pug holding a little knife and a lantern.

            Kagome watched as the words were whispered and Pug told Vicious what he heard, then Vicious waved that damn bird off his shoulder for the fifth time and said, "It's 'Why are you all dressed like that?'"

            Kagome blinked, "How did you know?"

            He turned to her, "I heard you tell the fire wizard."

            "What!? That just ruins the whole thing! You can't do that!"

            "Yes I can."

            "No you can't," She looked up at the ceiling, "That's against the rules isn't operator!?" 

            "She's right," a voice began. "You ca-" then Alucard picked up her Jackal and fired up at the ceiling.

            "I love these things," she grinned madly, bringing the two guns she held to her chest in a loving manner that just screamed Yuki.

            "Umm.. operator... are you ok?" For a moment there was no answer and then Kagome heard a phone ring. Reaching over she pulled out a cell phone, "Hello?"

            The monotonous and somewhat amused voice of Kouga came over the line, "We're sorry your conversation cannot go through as requested. Please wake up and try again."

            Kagome looked at her phone as though it had just popped wings and danced the merengue, "Nani?"

            "It said-"

            "I know what it said Darshu!"

            "This is NOT the Matrix," Alucard offered with a grin.

            "It said~"

***

            "Kagome, wake up."

            Kagome blinked her eyes sapphire depths waking to ruby ones. "'bout time..."

            The winged hanyou gave her a queer look. "Pardon?"

            "I've been trying to wake up but I got stuck in some dumb dream." Hikaru looked at her blankly before opening her mouth, but before the air could leave her lungs Kagome spoke. "I know," she said before mouthing, "they're comming."

            Hikaru's expression turned to one of controlled surprise. Looking as though she were about to say something she stopped. "They're here.. how did you-?"

            The miko simply grinned before growling and barking sounds caught their attention.

***

            The great white dog touched down and no sooner did he see his siblings and the other than he walked right into the cave, form slowly dissapating into that of a man's size. "Now," he said calmly, "Who is first?"

            The three guarding youkai growled dangerously. They knew who stood before them, they were not complete idiots, and they could count, three against one. Or at least those _were_ the odds.

            "Really Sesshoumaru you have such a flare for the dramatic," The white youkai sighed as she walked in slowly behind him taking up residence behind his right shoulder. Soon followed by Inu Yasha and Nataku on his other side.

            "-heh-" one of the black dogs grinned, "The mighty lord has fallen so far? As to ask help of hanyous and a mere diviner."

            Sesshoumaru almost grinned as he heard his his brother cracking his knuckles. "You should not address my siblings as such."

            Inu Yasha's eyes flashed over to Sesshoumaru. _Damn... he acknowledge the fact that we're related?_

            "And though normally I would let that slide you have also taken something of mine, and that deserves much retribution."

            "And what are you planning to do little prince? I imagine dealing so closely with humans has lightened your touch."

            Sesshoumaru felt the urge to snarl at this youkai's audacity and lack of respect. But there was another youkai there who he swore would get his full attention. "Yuki, you may take the braggart who has insulted your skills." He turned his golden gaze fully to the one that he saw in the vision Kagome had shown him, "This one is mine." He sensed a breif rush of fear come off his intended target and before it was gone the battle had begun.

            Yuki fought with dizzingly graceful movements that reflected the joy she felt in fighting. A joy that most youkai found in the act of slaughter, she found in the act preceeding it. Her claws reached out as she spun, shadowed by a length of hair, her movements were that of a practiced dance. Each little thing that was not an attack was a distraction, a decoy. Something that her opponent would look out for just incase. She spun again letting her hair flow without the preceding claw, then before she stopped, she quickly turned back thrusting her claw through the blinding mask of hair. With a satisfied smirk she brought a now crimson claw back. The eldest of the moon blooded siblings had drawn first blood.

***

            Despite the opposite methods of fighting the two hanyou held, Inu Yasha's survival taught form, and Nataku's practiced one they charged their opponent in near unison. Nataku's mind worked quickly attempting to predict both his opponent's and his "partner's" movements. Slipping in when Inu Yasha was thrown off or dodged, dancing back when the foolish inu hanyou practically jumped infront of his attacks. While both were likely not as strong as their opponent both hanyou knew they had an advantage of numbers. And Nataku knew they had an advantage of strategy... sort of.

***

            Sesshoumaru's movements showed his training and skill, clean, swift, methodical. The one who ended the circle of life did so with amazing accuracy and no wasted movement. Each movement was so swift that even a youkai could barely see the move, only the result, where there was a pause or change in direction of his limb or body. The speed and accuracy of Inutaisho's heir was not a laughing matter. His opponent was forced to go almost purely on defensive, not knowing the plans that Sesshoumaru was still evolving in his mind for him. All he saw was the sharp movements and claws to avoid. In battle Sesshoumaru was a true killing machine.

            It did not occur to his opponent that the Western Lord was playing with him.

***

            Yuki's opponent however was quite aware that she was playing however, the grin she displayed and the laughter that occasionally escaped her lips were obvious clues to that. "Come now, I expected a guard to have more skill than this." She dodged another of the male's claws, "Especially against a 'mere diviner'."

            "Oh but I do," he said his hands making a breif symbol in the air. Yuki's eyes widened a bit in surprise as the force hit her, she hadn't expected him to be a caster. "You must not be a very good seer," he mocked as he readied another spell, "You didn't see that one coming."

            She grinned and she readied herself for another attack. "I don't like to see the future all the time," The white youkai replied, "It ruins lovely surprises such as these."

            "You won't find it so fun once I'm done with you!" He said sending another bolt of force towards her.

            "Oh I bet I will," she dodged luring the caster outside after her.

***

            Nataku ducked another blow, "Inu Yasha, go free the women."

            "Don't tell me what to do Wings! YOU go free them."

            The winged hanyou cast a glance at his irate partner, "You'd be better for it, I can keep him busy while you do it."

            "What? no! I'LL keep him busy?"

            Blue eyes rolled, maybe he could appeal to the hanyou's pride, "You can probably get it done faster than I can."

            "Heh, at least one of you two ca-"

            "INU YASHA!" Sesshoumaru's voice cut through the hanyou's boast.

            "WHAT?!"

            "Shut up and do it!"

            "Alright, alright," he muttered.. then grinned, "Sesshou-ni."

            Inu Yasha could almost feel his half-brother's eyes narrowing, and both were too busy fighting to look in the other's direction! "Call me that again and you're next hanyou."

            The dog eared boy grinned and began to push his way past his opponent and partner to reach their captured friends.

***

            Sesshoumaru nearly rolled his eyes at his brother's stubborness at a time like this. He had allowed the brown dog to gain the upper hand during the "distraction" his brother had caused. "You are too easily distracted _my lord_," the youkai mocked, "First by humans and now by hanyou."

            "Say what you like, but you will pay for what you have done to Blue." He ducked a slash from his opponent and swiftly delivered an palm thrust to the lesser youkai's chest, breaking his armour and digging his claws in just enough to break the skin. As he shed the remains of his armour the brown youkai suddenly realized that Sesshoumaru could have killed him with that blow.

            And probably many times before...

***

            "Yo Kagome, Feathers, Sango."

            "Inu Yasha!" Kagome and Sango greeted.

            "'yo' yourself mutt, would you get us out now?"

            "Nah I think I'll just stand here and watch," he said sarcastically raising the Tetsusaiga. "Step back." He raised the massive fang and brought it across and around slicing through the iron bars of their prison. "Honestly feathers how can you call yourself a hanyou when you can't even break out of here on your o-" The hanyou's comment was cut off as his fighting partner was thrown into him.

            "Nataku!" his sister cried.

            "Greetings sister, though I believe the conditions could have been better." The youkai walked up to them and the winged siblings acted in harmony each bringing up a blast of air to hold the youkai back long enough for Inu Yasha to get his bearings and charge in again. "A gift for you sister," Nataku said throwing her twin blades at her. Within seconds the youkai was now fighting three hanyou.

***

            The caster grinned at the woman floating before him, trapped in paralyzing rings of his summoning, "Now didn't I tell you," he asked making the rings squeeze her further, "you wouldn't be enjoying this? Admit it I was right."

            "Nuh-uh," she said, smiling despite her grimace, "You are wrong little caster."

            "Oh? and how is that?"

            "You presume too much.. you assume that I am only a diviner."

            "-Heh- You are a diviner and a fighter, but your skills have done you little good thus far." Yuki then began to laugh, a deeper, crueler, compared to her earlier playful giggles. "You find defeat and death so amusing?"

            "No, it is your naivete' I find humorous pup. Your assumtions could not be more wrong. Divination is my natural talent and practice, fighting my joy..."

            "And they have failed you, as you will fail you're pathetic brother."

            Her eyes darkened but her expression remained much the same, "You should not speak of Sesshoumaru so, and you should never interrupt your superiors."

            "Ha! and what did you have left to say before I kill you?"

            "Fighting is my joy.. but magic, especially battle magic is my passion!" Yuki's eyes suddenly lit with lavendar fire as forgien words streamed from her mouth and her magical bonds snapped like a twigs under her foot. "I spent four decades off this little island of ours to learn of distant magics... would you like to see what I've learned?"

***

            Kagome and Sango had few options, both unarmed and powerless in comparison to their comrades the two young women could only try to stay out of the way and watch. The first thing Kagome had done once the way was clear was close the eyes of the the poor man who still sat across from their cell. But now she watched Sesshoumaru, eyes locked on the beautifully dangerous display he was putting on. His sharpened claws raked down a length of the brown youkai's leg in his attempt to dodge the taiyoukai. A horridly smooth arch of crimson trailed behind the now injured monster. The young miko could already see faint traces of green in the wound. A poison that once long ago was aimed directly at her just after she had been worthy of it's weilder's notice. It seemed like ages ago now.

            But she did not see why he used so little of his poison. How long did it take to build up? What she did not realized was that he released only enough poison to make the wound extremely painful, but not enough to dissolve. Even now sharp pains like lightning were shooting up into his torso and as he fought for control past the pain the Western Lord sliced across his arm and chest. Turning around by the force of the blow he recieved another raking across his back.

            Kagome watched with morbid fascination as bright red liquid almost floated in the air almost seeming to move _through_ Sesshoumaru before touching the ground with almost audible effects. 

            It was beautiful. 

            It was horrible.

            It was the true nature of the beast.

            Of the man she loved.

            She stood stunned by the sight before her and watched as Sesshoumaru simply looked at his crippled prey as though deciding what to do next.

***

            Inu Yasha had pulled back a moment, watching with near amazment and some admiration at the harmony in which the other two hanyou fought their opponent. _They must have trained together nearly all their lives_, he found himself thinking as the siblings crossed over the gray youkai. "You think this is a show mutt!? Get over here?"

            "Keh," Inu Yasha scoffed, "What, and mess up you're rhythm?" As The hanyou moved up to the youkai a mighty wind burst up around the gray dog. Inu Yasha's ears flattened against his head at the roar of the contained gust was causing, though it did seem far more crippling to his opponent. The Testsusaiga came up and was dodged by the youkai, but the movement only ran him into the katana Nataku. Before the blade was completely removed from his body two more smaller blades found their way into the youkai. And as he began fell the Testsusaiga finished the job.

***

            The caster she had been fighting now stood before her arms, legs, and body entrapped within large ropes of roots that had spurt up from the gound. "Now, don't be so stubborn, just tell me who your stupid boss is that he would go up against my dear brother."

            "Betraying him will only cause me to wish for death witch. I will not speak his name."

            "You know, in one place I visited they thought that eating the eyes of their enemies gave them their sight. Now I'm not one for cannabalism but let's see what refinements I can make.. let's take a peek shall we?" she said bringing one slender hand back, a chant leaving her lips.

            "What are you-" his voice was cut off by a scream as Yuki thrust her middle finger and thumb into his eyes.

***

            "Se...Sesshou? Is he?" Kagome asked tentatively, observing the twitching red and brown mass that lay before Sesshoumaru.

            "Not yet," he answered plainly. "That will take some time." The youkai knew his own poison, even experienced one like it before. Even without it's paralyzing properties would not move given his oppnents current condition. Sharp flashes of pain went though the body, as though the blood were of acid at every movement, every breath. The pain made you twitch which only forced about another series of painful jolts. He could see the veins on his face beginning to show, pale green lines snaking through his features that would only darken in time. In hours in fact, the time it would take this pathetic creature to die. He may have been paralyzed and mind fogged with pain but Sesshoumaru knew he could hear and understand. He knelt down and stared into red-green glazed eyes. "This," he said in the youkai language, "Is what happens to those who dare to try and harm what is mine."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

*deep breath* well first I hit a dead end creatively (no writing or drawing just NOTHING, total aggrivating blank :), this does overlap a bit into some of the following events), and then I got a full time job at an understaffed restaraunt (basically lots of time not thinking about fics there were two weeks where I worked 3 double shifts each)

THEN my computer broke, then after about 2 months I got a new harddrive that took a week for me to get my lazy bro to get it set up, but my dads harddrive was slaved to it. SO after about two weeks I got my old harddrive slaved so I got access to all my notes etc... for about two hours (when I updated Twist of Fate). Apparently when I plugged the new HD back in the plug thing wasn't in all the way and it short circuited it! :O(I blame my brother for being to busy playing comp games and letting me mess with the hardware *DOH!*) before I copied the old stuff to disk. NOW my old hardrive isn't working either and I can't get to my notes! All of my notes are gone! I had whole chapters up for stuff that I haven't even posted OL yet the poor things won't even get to see all my wonderful readers!(for a while anyway) OH THE HUMANITY!! And during all this my step-mom was pregnant with a little half-sister for me. So we had to get the house ready for her, shes SO CUTE and TINY!!!

so basically I've been really busy and computers hate me... I don't know WHY they hate me.. I like them.. most of the time, they do get moody sometimes don't they? *looks around* I better not say that... they're always watching you know and some are more sensitive than others...

The dream: Why did I? Hell even I dunno.. maybe it's b/c I was sleepy and I watched an Animatrix Vid (better than Reloaded)

**_*IY Char* = *Character* = *Anime*_**

Sesshoumaru = Vicious =Cowboy Bebop

Inu Yasha = Dark Schneider = Bastard!!

Kikyou/Hikaru = Rei/Sailor Mars= Sailor Moon

Miroku = Onizuka = Great Teacher Onizuka

Sango = Makoto = Love Hina

Shippo = P-chan = Ranma 1/2

Kirara = Ryo ohki = Tenchi Muyo!

Rin = Chihiro =Spirited Away

Jaken = Pug = Final Fantasy

Yuki = Alucard = Hellsing :)

Next Chapter: Yuki displays a less than giddy state of mind, and Kagome gets a little scared of Sesshoumaru's vengeful nature.


	14. Musings At Midnight

This disclaimer.. is actually proclaiming that I do not own Inu Yasha or any of the characters... I would also like to point out at this time that I SUCK at intrigue... so we will completely ignore all that... really...

****

**Once In A Blue Moon**

An Inu Yasha Fanfic by Hika-chan

**Chapter 14(a):** Musings At Midnight

            Kagome stared at the twitching victim of Sesshoumaru, not sure how to react to the cruel fate of one who likely deserved it. Wait... did he? He was a cruel ruthless youkai, but then again wasn't Sesshoumaru the same in one way or another? She didn't want to think that this youkai deserved the pain and torture that would be involved in his death. If she let herself believe it then.. then that could mean that Sesshoumaru deserved a similar fate. 

             "Sesshou?" she whispered shakily.

            The taiyoukai immediately went to her side, leaving the wretched creature to his slow death. "Are you alright Kagome?" he asked, seemingly oblivious to the carnage around them.

            "Could you at least finish him quickly?"

            "This is no less than he deserves."

            "And you?"

            The youkai lord seemed somewhat confused, "Me?"

            "Is this the kind of death you deserve as well?" She asked eyes tearing slightly.

            "Koishii? Why would you-" he stopped himself and nodded. He was youkai, his ways were naturally more than the average human could stand to witness. Then there was the compassionate nature of his beloved blue moon, she would never fully understand that side of his nature he knew, and he should have remembered. Unfortunately he had been blinded by his anger. He was willing to sacrifice some of his cruelty for her, after all he found little joy in it, for him it was a tool of vengeance, punishment and retribution. "As you wish." he said and swiftly ended the life of the offending youkai. Of course putting that thought into practice was going to take some work.

            A wave hit the young miko and she covered her nose and mouth, turning away from the sight. Weren't youkai supposed to dissolve or turn to dust or something when they died? Regardless all she could smell was blood and death, and now she cursed her more sensitive nose. Even the sweet scent of Sesshoumaru's poison did little to help her, only because she knew what it caused. "Kagome?"

            Another hand came up and she squeezed her eyes shut tight, tears beginning to form in the intense blue orbs. "The smell.." was all she managed to say for a moment.

            "Kagome-chan?" Sango asked coming up behind her friend and taking hold of her shoulders for support.

            "I can't stand the smell..." she whined softly, "all the blood..."

            Sesshoumaru went to say something but Sango beat him too it, "Let me take you outside, Sesshoumaru-sama if you think it would be possible for you to revive the man over there I think Kagome-chan would greatly appreciate it." Bright blue eyes opened slightly and nodded to the tall youkai, before the taijya led her outside.

***

            The moment she was outside the cave Kagome practically dropped to her knees in relief. There had not been enough circulation in the cave and now that she was away from the smells she felt she could take a deeper breath. _This must be kind of like what Inuyasha went through when we fought all those ink monsters,_ she mused absently. "Kagome-chan...are you-"

            "I'm fine Sango.. I just needed some fresh air."

            Sango nodded silently to her friend and then looked up at their surroundings only to stop when she saw Yuki. Apparently the older sister was not quite as concerned with keeping blood off her as her younger sibling. While she was not covered in so much as to closely mimic a Stephen King novel there was just enough to make her look creepy. A splatter on her cheek there, a little on her sleeve and in her hair, and of course some dripping from her finger tips. To add to the eerie scene behind her stood the macabre decoration of her kill. A doll supported on a stand of roots his mouth open in pain and thick red tracks running down either side of his face below empty red sockets. The entire dark scene was illuminated by the blue light of the full moon that was partially covered by blue-gray clouds.

            "Oh hello girls," she said simply, her usual jubilance gone, but neither was her voice grim and dark. She had spoke her greeting like a typical, casual observance. The wind shifted and the distinct smell of blood came upon Kagome's small form once again and she raised her head. A short strangled shriek left the girl's lips and she begged her eyes to shut. But once again they were cruel to her, refusing her the simple relief she so longed for.

            Moments after the miko cried out the hanyous and Western Lord emerged from the cave, looking for any signs of danger. Yuki looked behind her and seemed to give a mock blush. "Oops, didn't mean for you to see that," she muttered before stepping infront of the display blocking it from the miko's view. Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes slightly at his sister, though he was just as guilty, Kagome had seen a little too much blood today.

            "Yuki, put the grotesque art away," he half growled.

            "I never cared for it much myself," Yuki commented casually, chanting a moment as the roots returned to their home. It was such a strange scene to watch, like the strings to the top of the marionette were cut first then the support left the legs and it connected to the ground with a solid thud. Then the roots closed over the corpse and pulled it down into the ground and the grass innocently took it's place where it had been before the battle. It was as though the earth had become one giant venus fly trap waiting patiently for it's next victim.

            Sesshoumaru turned away from his sister, who seemed to be studying how neatly she tidied up, and walked over to the young miko curled up beside her friend. "Kagome." She turned to him fear evident in her bright blue eyes, the youkai flinched unnoticeably and his heart twisted knowing that he was part of the reason for it. Not willing to speak for whatever reason, she glanced to Tenseiga at his waist and then back to his face, eyes questioning. "Gomen blue, he has been dead for too long. Tenseiga and I can do nothing for a body whose soul has moved on." Silently tears welled in her eyes and she threw herself back into her friend's arms. Another flash of pain shot through the youkai as the miko sought comfort elsewhere.

            Yuki turned, her eyes widening slightly as she observed the surge of jealousy in her brother's aura. She turned then, looking to Inuyasha wondering on his reaction to the whole scene. Surprisingly the youngest sibling was not smug or egotistical, in fact the hanyou seemed rather... pensive. Something that had once been very unusual for him but she had seen him like that quite allot lately. "So," Inuyasha spoke up breaking the silence, "Where are we going from here?" Given the tone of his voice it was obvious that what he said was not what was on his mind.

            "What do you mean?" Yuki asked, already knowing but asking the question for the benefit of those who did not wish to speak it.

            "Well, someone has to go back to Sesshoumaru's castle to let Miroku an' the kids know we're alright, an' we have to give the guy in there a proper burial, and you," he said pointing to Sesshoumaru, "Need to get back to the western capital."

            "His family," Kagome muttered, instantly all attention turned to her. "That youkai said he hurt his family also. Can you heal them Sesshoumaru?"

            The taiyoukai looked at her for a moment, the fear in her eyes replaced with a reluctant hope. Sesshoumaru let out a low sigh and closed his eyes before opening them again and nodding, the softened look in his gold eyes clearing saying "_Only for you._"

            "Did you hear that?" Nataku asked.

            "Seems like someone broke free of his stables," Yuki grinned as Aun came out of the forest around them.

            "The hanyou and taijiya will return to my home with Aun, Kagome and I will return the body since I must be there, and Yuki I will meet you back at the capital."

            "I'm going with you and Kagome," Inuyasha said.

            Sesshoumaru held back a growl, he was not accustomed to being disobeyed. "You will do as I say _little brother_."

            "No," Inuyasha answered, "I will not. I will do what I think is best for my friend."

            "What would a baka hanyou like you kn-"

            "Now now boys," Yuki chided stepping between the two. "There's no need for that." Yuki turned her lilac eyes to the older of the two, "_I think you should let him go with you, Kagome-chan seems a bit uneasy right now. She seems to need more the comfort of a friend than a lover._"

            Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, "_Am I not both?_"

            "_Do not make me force my decision upon you Sesshoumaru_."

            "Fine the hanyou may come."

***

            A few minutes later Sango was about to get on Aun when, "Excuse me but may I help you?"

            The taijiya warily turned her eyes to flirtatious grin of Hikaru's older brother. "Sure, Thank you..."

            "Nataku."

            "Thank you Nataku-sama."

            The white and red haired hanyou simply wagged a finger at her, "Nataku is just fine from any pretty lady."

            The exterminator blinked and nodded. "I'm Sango." Behind them Hikaru looked like she wanted to gag.

            Sango rode quietly on the dragon mount back towards the palace with the two hawk hanyou flying behind them. She was happy to know that Inuyasha was with Kagome right now. She was also happy to note that while they were ruthless Sesshoumaru and Yuki still seemed to care about her welfare. She just hopped Inuyasha wouldn't stick his foot in his mouth again.

            "I cannot believe you aniiue," Hikaru hissed, "I swear you are almost as bad as that monk."

            "The monk?"

            "Yes though thankfully you are not so liberal with your hands. He actually asked me to bear his child before grabbing my butt! If I hadn't been so shocked I would have killed him before the taijiya beat him into the ground."

            Nataku grinned, "I suppose he was a bit too worried to act so charming when I met him."

            "Yes well I think he knows better than to try any of that with Yuki-sama."

            "Ahh yes... Yuki-sama."

            Hikaru rolled her eyes, "You are hopeless brother."

            "I believe the term is more hope_ful,_" he offered with a grin.

***

            "Sesshoumaru," Yuki had said before she sped off alone to the capital, "We must talk once you return, I have news of your traitors." The white dog seemed about to leave then she spoke up again, "You may as well bring Inu-chan and Kagome-chan as well, they may be safer with us." She had left it at that, but knowing his sister like he did he knew she was not joking, nor would she joke about such a thing. Kagome, Inuyasha and he were now on the return trip to the mountains. It had taken little time to track down the man's family, who were fitfully sleeping in a miko's care. After a brief explanation and reassurances from Kagome the miko allowed Sesshoumaru to, for lack of a better word, treat her patients. They left Mikan's body with her and a note of condolences for the family, the miko gave Kagome some clothes to change into and they were on their way again.

            Sesshoumaru tried not to growl as he looked at Kagome riding on Inuyasha's back parallel to him. Jealousy surged within him, more so then he had ever felt over the Tetsusaiga. Kagome was _his_ love, _his_ blue moon, not the hanyou's. And yet there she was riding on _Inuyasha's_ back. _But the way she looked at me,_ he thought. It reminded him of when he had her against the wall near the garden, she was so scared, now she was scared of him. Back then neither of them knew why, now the reason was clear. He was youkai, a creature whose ruthlessness greatly over shadowed that of man's. And she, she was far to pure and innocent to be exposed to such a thing, _So much like Rin,_ he realized. Perhaps it was as she tried to hint earlier, she was not ready. Especially not for a relationship that was intense as he had in mind, not including the complexity of one between a feudal youkai and a miko of the future. Kami this was frustrating, in her time humans rarely married before their twenties, and here she was... not quite sixteen and he asked her to be his mate. It was mind boggling how grown up she was in many respects, but still so childish in others.

            She'd fought off demons, risked her life many times, was on a quest and still tried so hard to maintain a normal 20th century life (he was still learning what that entailed). Yet when it came to a "lovelife" as she had called it she was so insecure. Though his attentions were not refused he had a feeling anything more than kissing would cause her discomfort...

            He fought back another growl, still she should not be afraid to ride on his back! Seeking comfort from others when he was there for her. It grated on his nerves like rusted metal. He turned his eyes away from the two shard hunters and took a deep breath, he had to calm himself before he did something he would regret. _Think about something else,_ he told himself, _Yuki said she knew who the traitor is. She looked so angry, there must be more to it than that..._

***

            "Inuyasha," Kagome whispered into his ear, "I understand what you were trying to tell me now. I'm sorry I dismissed it so easily but..."

            "But it wouldn't have changed anything," the hanyou replied almost as quietly, not quite sure if his older brother could hear them. "You love him don't you?"

            There was a moment of quiet before she answered, "I... I think so, but... I'm a little scared of him as well. Is that wrong? Can you love someone and fear them at the same time?"

            Inuyasha nodded, "I love Kikyou as well, in some ways less than I did before, but I still do. I do have a fear of her Kagome, I didn't realize it for a long time, but I am scared of her. Partly because I can't destroy her, I couldn't bring myself to, and also what she's capable of. If she really wanted to she could probably kill all of us. What kills me most though, is the idea that I would probably stand by and let her."

            "Inuyasha..." The miko tightened her hold on him, "I know you well enough, I know now you would never let her hurt us. Shinpaishinai."

            "Arigato Kagome."

            "Same here Inuyasha."

***

            It was far too easy for Sesshoumaru to notice the increased closeness between the two (not to mention most of the conversation) and found himself once again biting back a growl. He wanted nothing more at that moment then to kill his half-brother but he knew it would do him no good. He blinked at the thought, when had he become so possessive? Little over a week ago she was a figment of his subconscious and he would have been happy to leave it at that. But since she became such a solid and real presence his control had begun to waver, many times they had been taken out on her even before he knew who she was. 

            Suddenly past memories seemed to flash before his eyes. 

            _A young maid in a pale pink kimono.__ 'Sesshoumaru-sama?' 'You... you can just call me... Sesshoumaru if you prefer.' 'N.. no I cannot.' A smile, 'I would like it if you did.' Meetings under the moon. Soft unsure kisses. Blush tinted cheeks. 'You're so beautiful.' 'No... I'm not.'_

_            A battle. Pain. Red. Something here. Meat, hello meat... It runs. Chase it. Chase. Run faster little meat. I'll catch you. Run run run. Chase you. Try to hide. Can't hide. Find you. Hello again meat. _

_            Red vision and splashes of crimson. Burning blood and satisfaction. Red. A still form guarded by a growling little pup. White hair... firerat fur. Inu.. Inuyasha? Where? Wha? Sakura? He.. he killed Sakura. 'How could I?... When did I?' When did he loose control like that?_

            He slowed his pace, earning a glance from Kagome. They were such delicate creatures really, and he found himself doomed to love them in one form or another. He could protect them from others, but it seemed he could do little to protect them from himself. He stole another glance at Kagome only to see her looking at him, worry evident in her eyes, there seemed to be only the barest sliver of fear in them now, though now she seemed unsure once again.

            She could see it, a kind of fear or desperation in his golden eyes. She knew what it was, he so feared losing control again, she had seen it before in Inuyasha. She smiled lightly to herself, the brothers were really so alike. She offered Sesshoumaru a slight smile, knowing it must have been obvious that she was trying to make it more comforting than it appeared. He nodded to her, thankful for the effort.  He seemed to relax a little before tensing again, Kagome looked ahead and saw that they had arrived at the palace. She gasped suddenly in realization; this was the place she had seen in her dream, when he had saved her from the nightmare...

            As they approached Yuki came up alongside them. "I did not wish to go in without you brother," she half grinned. Sesshoumaru only nodded his acknowledgement before Yuki spoke again. "Kagome, it would be best if you not reveal yourself as a miko. I'd suggest against revealing yourself at all but given that most of those here are youkai..."

            "I understand."

            "What about a concealment spell?" Inuyasha asked as they halted atop the crest of a hill both Sesshoumaru and Kagome found very familiar. "Like what they used to get into the castle?"

            Yuki shook her head, "That will not last long enough, besides if they did find you, you could be found guilty of intrigue."

            "So we're just walking in there?" Kagome asked.

            Yuki simply nodded, "Well Inuyasha and I are Sesshoumaru's siblings us being there should be little surprise... But how to explain you Kagome-chan..."

            "Good thing the you took normal clothes instead of a miko's," Inuyasha said, his head turned to address Kagome who was still on his back.

            "Can't we just say I'm one of Inuyasha's friends? I mean if they mistake me for a quarter-youkai like Hikaru did, a hanyou befriending one wouldn't be all _that_ strange would it?"

            Sesshoumaru closed his eyes with a small sigh, "Hanyou are rare enough, but what you appear to be is almost unheard of, Kagome. You will not go unnoticed."

            "Hey I just don't wanna get killed, attention or no, whoever's behind this is gonna figure out I'm here anyway."

            Sesshoumaru gave Kagome a worried and warning look.

            She just stared back confidently.

            Yuki grinned.

            Inuyasha knew he was missing something.

            Sesshoumaru turned to Yuki, "Let's go." He turned and looked at his younger brother, "Coming?"

            Apparently Sesshoumaru lost the silent argument.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

**Hika-chan**: Bet you thought I forgot about Sakura ne?

**Sesshoumaru**: It's bad enough you made want her *points to Kagome*

**Kagome**: Huh?

**Sesshoumaru**: But another human female, when I was younger?

**Hika-chan**: Think of it as going to college.. you know... experimenting years. *suddenly thoughtful* hmmm...

**Sesshoumaru**: I will slay you for this.

**Hika-chan**: Not before I do this *snaps fingers- author powers flare to life and Sesshoumaru is in a ninja outfit* hee hee BAI! *poof is gone*

**Sesshoumaru**: Must. Kill. All. Chibis.

**Shinpaishinai**: "Don't worry"

**Koishii**: Beloved, my love, etc.

**Hika-chan**: Oh yeah Sorry about the delay. I've just really had a block (anyone whose read the notes on Twist or my profile probably already knows that.) I wanted to get more done with this chapter. So this is kinda 14a... I hate doing that but you guys have waited long enough I have to give you something! and since this is a half decent place to end an installment what the hell right? 


	15. Out In The Open

**Hika-chan****:** OMFG I'M ALIVE!!!

well kinda, I died and then one of my friends reanimated me. (I knew I shouldnt've eaten all the food reviewers were pelting me with) I tell you I've never spent so much on air fresheners! But I got this chapter done. Now between this and.. maybe other writings I gotta see about getting a true resurrection going on...

… oh yeah.. don't own 'em

**Once In A Blue Moon**

An Inu Yasha Fanfic by Hika-chan

Chapter 15: Out in the Open

They had gotten into the castle with little incident, despite the late hour Sesshoumaru was able to find a servant and ordered that Inuyasha and Yuki's rooms were prepared for them. There was never any worry about either of them getting one; all three siblings of the moon had rooms of their own in the castle no matter how long they remained vacant. Suffice to say none of the rooms had seen much use at all in the past few decades. Not far from his elder brother's room Inuyasha and Kagome sat in his room in the palace, as they had yet to decide what to do with Kagome. Giving her a room alone might be too risky, and Sesshoumaru was not entirely trusting of his younger half sibling just yet. But the two waited alone for now while Yuki and Sesshoumaru discussed "matters of state."

"'Matters of state' my ass," the hanyou grumbled, "Yuki knows something."

"Then why isn't she telling us what's going on too?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha shrugged, "It's just the way her mind works I guess. If she knows something someone might want to know she will only tell that one person she feels it involves the most, and she lets them decide who else gets to know. It's like... she knows all the secrets but she doesn't tell anyone."

The miko nodded, then a thought came upon her, "Inuyasha?"

"eh?"

"Are there female youkai Lords... Ladies.. err, ruling female youkai?"

"Keh! of course, why?"

"Well isn't Yuki-sama older than Sesshoumaru? Why isn't she the heir?"

He blinked, "She didn't want it, I know she turned it down though I can't remember why, I wasn't exactly around at the time."

"huh," Kagome muttered thoughtfully.

-------------

In his own room Sesshoumaru was not wasting anytime, "What do you know Yuki?"

"My you've become awfully impatient recently haven't you Sess-chan?"

"Yuki," he began his tone slightly warning.

"Oh don't give me that tone Sesshoumaru, you know I'm going to tell you." She sighed, "Look you can have you're little traitors-

"'Traitors?'" Sesshoumaru interrupted, "There is more than one?

"Of course," The pale youkai answered before picking up right where she left off, "You can seek retribution, reap your vengeance with whatever poetic irony you see fit... But first I want you to promise me one thing."

"And what is that aneeue?"

"I want the one behind all this."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"I want the youkai who's trying to steal your position from you brother."

"It is not your right to defend the throne of the Western Lands Yuki," the prince responded irritation beginning to rise within him.

"If it were not for me my dear _younger_ brother, than the throne would not be yours in the first place. As the oldest child of the former Lord I still have precedence over you in this matter as you are not yet Lord, and _I_ will be the one to take him down Sesshoumaru."

He was slightly taken aback by the dark tone in her voice, but continued on without missing a beat. "What have you ever cared for protocol before Yuki?"

"When I use it to ensure that I get what I want."

"And what is that Yuki? What is it you want?

Her lilac eyes glowed for an instant, "Him."

Sesshoumaru was once again surprised, but it wore away as quickly as it had come when he realized the only person it could be to get this reaction out of his quirky older sister. "Alright Yuki, you can have him."

"Thank you Sesshou," with that bit of business out of the way she seemed her "normal" genki self again, "now as for your traitors, one is a little feathered friend-"

"You'll have to be more specific than that."

"Oh that's right, we have had a sudden influx of winged ones haven't we?"

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

---------

Kagome yawned It was really late, she suddenly remembered as though the moon lurking outside had no meaning to her. She shook her head and look at the chinese checkers set they had found in Yuki's room. She hadn't even made her first move yet when her head snapped up. "Oi, Kagome what's wrong?"

"I just felt a sudden surge of youki, I think it was Sesshoumaru," she stood and began to head towards the door.

Inuyasha blocked her path, "Don't worry about it Kagome."

"Don't worry!? Inuyasha they could-"

"They're fine," the hanyou assured, "Aneeue probably just told Sesshoumaru something he didn't want to hear. Besides no one would be dumb enough to attack the both of them here."

"Are you sure?"

"No one can piss off Sesshoumaru like Yuki can," he grinned, "Come'on you said you were gonna teach me how to play this dumb game."

-----------

"Oh calm down Sesshoumaru, I mean when you think about it it's not really all that much of a surprise."

Sesshoumaru growled and suppressed his youki, "That is not the point Yuki and you know it," he said, his tone carefully controlled. Suffice to say Sesshoumaru was most displeased about his traitors. He had expected them to be one of the lower ranking youkai in his service. A sniveling little coward afraid to voice his opinion, reduced to resorting to subterfuge for lack of courage or any other skills. Instead he was betrayed by those he respected and trusted. Those he had often trusted with his home and land.

"Now now now, calm down brother dear. We don't want to wake up the whole castle now do we?" Her tone softened a bit as she stopped herself from putting a hand on his shoulder, "I know, betrayal hurts. But knowing us..."

"Our vengeance will be much more so."

"Yes. But do not forget Sesshou, others may still be involved that I am unaware of."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?"

A voice came through the door, "Makumba."

"Enter."

The cheetah opened the door and stepped in, then closed it behind her. She was somewhat surprised to see Yuki there as well, "Forgive my interruption but is everything alright Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"Yes Makumba, Yuki just arrived to inform me of some rather distressing news."

She looked up verbally acknowledging Yuki's prescience, "Good evening Yuki-sama." She looked at the two inu youkai. "Should I take my leave, or is there anything you need?"

"Nothing you nee-."

"Is the room across from this one vacant?" Yuki jumped in, completely running over whatever Sesshoumaru was about to say.

Makumba nodded, somewhat confused, "Yes it is."

Yuki looked at Sesshoumaru with a smile. Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes before speaking, "Have it prepared. Kagome will be staying there."

Makumba's eyes lit up, "Is she arriving tomorrow?"

"No. She is here now, in Inuyasha's room," he answered restraining a growl at the last part.

"I'll prepare it myself Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Good, you are dismissed." The cheetah bowed and went out the door, closing it behind her.

"Are you sure letting her prepare the room is a good idea?"

"You know he loves to be in total control Yuki. He would never let any one of his subordinates act without permission. Besides the chances of him knowing she is here already are-"

"Good enough," she interrupted with a warning tone.

Sesshoumaru nodded, "Let us go tell Kagome her room is ready."

---------

"My lord."

"What is it?" he asked, mildly irritated about his interrupted sleep.

"She is here."

The black dog was somewhat confused at this vague remark, he didn't smell the hawk nearby. He raised a brow at his servant, "and 'she' would be."

"th...the miko sir."

"What!?"

"Yuki-sama and Inuyasha are here as well."

"Dammit.." Kuroinu muttered. _How did they find her so quickly? I should have had her for at least another two days! How the hell did this happen!?_ "Have you seen them?"

"Yes my lord, I saw them coming into the palace with Sesshoumaru-sama."

_What? How in the seven hells did _he_ find out?_ "Were they injured at all?"

"Yuki-sama had some blood on her but I don't think most of it was hers. Sesshoumaru was clean and Inuyasha seemed to have a few minor injuries."

Kuroinu bit back a growl, _Of__ all the incompetence! I suppose that's what I get when I dredge the lower ranks for guards for a human._ He growled again. _How could they not even guard a human!_ He tried to calm himself, the human hadn't been the problem, it was Inutaisho's brats that had been. "Send for Youtei."

----------

There was a hesitant knock at his door. "Come in," he answered without so much as a glance up from his scroll. But as the door opened he looked up and smiled slightly. Kagome stood, somewhat timidly, in the half-open doorway in a fresh nemaki. "Not sleepy?"

Kagome shook her head, "I am a little, but I can't sleep."

He gestured to the tatami mat across from him, "I said you could come in." Kagome blushed slightly and came into the room closing the door behind her. As she walked to the table she wondered to herself which part of the rollercoaster this encounter with Sesshoumaru would be. "May I ask what's keeping you awake?"

She nodded, "It's a few things actually."

He was glad she came to him instead of going to Inuyasha, but given her recent wariness he didn't want to come on too strong at the moment. The last thing he wanted was to push her further away. "Care to talk about any of them?" Especially since he needed her close by so that way he could protect her. _And so I find myself protecting another human woman..._

"Well one of them isn't really worth talking about, it's just... well there's a lot of hostile youki in the air," she made a show of shuddering; "it's making my skin crawl."

Sesshoumaru nodded, "I suppose that means our enemy has found out his blackmail attempt won't work out?"

Kagome raised a confused brow at him.

"He has found out we rescued you."

The miko's eyes widened slightly, "You mean... he's here!? In the palace?"

Sesshoumaru nodded, "Do not worry, Yuki's room is next to yours and Inuyasha and myself are across the hall."

Kagome waited a moment for him to continue, but as it was the short list did not get any longer. "Umm... what about Makumba and Juutsuma the others?"

"Well Jaken is hardly an effective guardian and the others' loyalties... well let us just say they are currently in question."

She looked at the youkai sitting across from her who was now calmly rolling up the scroll he had been reading. "What!?"

"Let us just say that someone is attempting a coup much earlier than I expected." As the miko just stared at him he smiled lightly and lay his hand atop hers, "Do not worry yourself Blue, we will take care of it as soon as Yuki sniffs out the other rats." He saw her shoulders relax then changed the subject. "Is there anything else you would like to discuss?"

Kagome bit her lip and looked away from him, "Well I don't really want to talk about... earlier tonight." He felt her hand twitch below his and he respectfully removed his own. When he did she drew her arms back and hugged herself. She looked up at him again, "I mean it's not any one thing, it's just... a lot happened, and there are... some things I saw that I won't be able to forget anytime soon.

The youkai prince noticed the smell of salt before he saw the tears begin to form. "Kagome I told you, what happened to that man was not your fault. You had no way of knowing that was what he would do." She looked up at him and smiled, somehow he had known what had been bothering her the most. "And if it's any consolation I do not like Yuki's taste in performance art either."

A light laugh escaped her lips and she smiled at him. After a moment her smile faded "Sesshoumaru..."

He looked at her, sensing her nervousness. He nodded, encouraging her to continue.

The miko opened her mouth, then at the last moment seemed to change her mind. "You know you don't have to worry about Inuyasha right? I don't love him like that anymore... and to be honest I don't think he feels that way about me either." She looked up at him and noticed his eyes were narrowed slightly, not in malice or suspicion but... curiosity she supposed. As is he was trying to figure out what she meant to say. Somehow she also sensed that he was afraid of what she might say. "Sesshou..." _Dammit__ girl just say it, he'll need to hear it I'm sure._ "Inuyasha told me about Sakura."

The youkai lord's posture stiffened, worry and anger boiled up inside him and he was not willing to give in to the former, "He did, did he?" he asked, voice threateningly calm.

"Sesshou don't be mad and don't worry," she quickly responded. "He just wanted me to know why he was so upset... and I guess he wanted to warn me."

"Warn you? About what?" he paused and stared at her across the table. "About me?"

She smiled despite the death glare she was sure he meant for a certain hanyou. "About being in love with a youkai."

The tension in the room seemed to disappear that instant. He just looked at her, surprise clearly, but subtly, written across his face as she stood and walked over to kneel beside him. "Blue..."

She put a finger on his lips to silence him, it had taken a lot for her to muster up the courage to say and do as much as she had already. If he interrupted her now she'd probably just freeze up or something. "I'm not afraid of you Sesshou, I realized that. I'm afraid of what you could do, what you're _willing_ to do. But I'm not afraid of _you._" She moved her hand and gently traced the lines on his cheek. Closing his eyes he turned his face into her hand and inhaled her scent. "And I promise you, no matter what happens, no matter how scared I am..." She paused, waiting for his golden orbs to meet her own, "I will never run from you." He looked at her, almost disbelievingly, like he had never expected anyone to say those words to him. She laughed slightly, "Don't you believe me? Even when we were enemies how many times did I run from you?"

"Kagome..."

"You won't ever hurt me Sesshou, If you don't fear that, neither will I."

He stared into her bright blue eyes, her soul, so open and honest.. and loving, of him. Those same sapphire orbs looked back and the most expressive eyes she had seen in him since... ever, and she was all the more happy that this was in real life. She leaned in and kissed him softly a part of her wondering to herself, _How__ did I grow up so fast?_ "Daisuki desu, Sesshou" she whispered, "Totemo daisuki."

He grinned at the child-like admition of her affection, "Mo, totemo daisuki desu."

She giggled and put her forehead against his, their moons touching. "Thank you for hearing me out Sesshou, I think I an sleep now."

"Are you sure that is all you want to do?"

She blushed, "Yes I'm sure."

"You can sleep here." He noticed her hesitation, "Do not worry, I have all these things to take care of," he grinned, "you'll be quite safe from me." Kagome looked at the pile of scrolls before him on the table then nodded. _Almost got her,_ he thought to himself playfully as he picked up the scroll he had been looking over when she came in. Then he mentally sighed to himself, _back to work._ A moment later he was briefly surprised when the thick blanket from his bed landed next to him, it was folded over and a pillow soon followed it landing right next to his legs. Bemused he watched as the young miko lay down on the blanket next to him and lay her head against his leg.

"Good night Sesshou."

He smiled and uncoiled the mass of fur around his arm and covered her with it. "Sleep well Blue."

-----------

The hawk youkai took off into the pre-dawn sky, a letter tucked into her sleeve. "_The situation has changed_," Kuroinu had said, "_It looks like we are going to have to go with the more aggressive route. Find Kagemen and give him this. This will all be brought to a close very soon._" She had to get this done soon, if her absence was noticed it might bring her under suspicion. She guessed that she had about two hours to find Kagemen (or him to find her as the case usually was) then one more to get back.

"Should be plenty of time..." she said to herself, "Then Kuroinu-sama will have his wish!"

---------

"Fly as fast as you want little bird," Yuki muttered as she turned from her window, "Nothing will save you and your wretched comrades from us." Walking over to her work area she grabbed a feather on the way. "I'm so glad it's summer, molting makes it so much easier to get a little bit of you..." A wave of her hand and her windows and curtain closed, another and candles lit up around her alter and the room. "Now.. let's see what you're up to, and then what else I can find out."

-----------------

(Anata ga) daisuki desu- I like you alot/ I love you

tottemo- Very much/ allot

Mo -also/ Grammar butchering! ("Mo totemo daisuki desu"- "I love you alot too"... more or less.. I think)

Kage=Shadow men=mask**Hika-chan:** SAPPY! I know! I'm going to try really hard to punch out the next Chap of _Blue Moon_ out by the end of August (hopefully in the 2 weeks between summer and fall semesters) even if I have to force it. I anticipate about 3-4 more chapters left before this story is over but I have no real guarantees since I don't know how long the battle(s) will take as I'm still mapping out the fight scenes.

I've been on a bit of a roll, it looks like in the next month you can also expect the next chappys of _Twist of Fate_ and _Little Rin Riding Hood_, but I am moving this week (7/25-30)soo... we'll see how that works out. So don't check back all that often If you're in the KagSess or air(Alternate Inuyasha Romance) Yahoo groups you'll get a notice of when I update. I would e-mail notify people individually but it's been so long since my last update I don't know who still wants to know/remembers what's going on in any of my stories. The good and bad news is I've got a job now, and when fall comes around I will be a full time student and working, so let's all pray that I'll have time to write once the last week of August rolls around.


	16. Calms Before the Storm

**Once In A Blue Moon**

An Inuyasha Fanfic By Hika-chan  
** Chapter 16: Calms Before the Storm**

Sesshoumaru was finding it increasingly difficult to concentrate. Curled up peacefully by his side Kagome slept, but in her sleep she kept nuzzling and petting his tail sending shivers up his spine. It wasn't an entirely unpleasant feeling and it was by no means repulsive. Given the current situation however, it was an unneeded distraction. First of all he could do nothing about it, save for waking up the miko and given all that had happened to her in the past day she deserved her rest.

* * *

Then there was the matter of all these scrolls he had to go through, he wanted to get as much work done as he could since he had no idea when his usurper would come around ready to "talk" out this matter. Unfortunate as it was Sesshoumaru himself (nor Yuki for that matter) could not just up and attack him, especially in the palace, without cause. 

He spared a glance at the sleeping school girl, a light smile decorating his face. Putting one of his scrolls down, he reached over and gently moved some hair from her face. Gently running his hands through her hair he watched her sleep. Perhaps he could take a short break after all.

Youtei gripped the talisman in her hand; waiting quietly in the clearing for the youkai she was meeting to appear. Well perhaps "appear" was too strong a word. After all the hawk herself had never really seen Kagemen, even with her sharp vision she had never seen enough of the doppelganger youkai to even make out his type… Assuming he even was a he. And that was assuming Kagemen ever met her in his true form. Kagemen was a very secretive youkai, even when it came to sharing information with Kuroinu. Kagemen took his mission and never tells anyone, even his allies how he intends to go about it. He simply gives a method of summoning or contacting him and returns when the job is done.

The hawk sighed, every time Kuroinu used the shadow she had served as the contact. And no matter how many times she met with him she was always on edge. There was just something eerie, even to a youkai, about someone you could never see, who you couldn't quite smell, who you didn't know what they looked like, always playing on the edge of your vision, and that you knew nothing about. And worse yet-

"Hello again Youtei."

-She could never sense him coming. The hawk resisted the urge to jump at the distorted voice that echoed around her. Even though she could not pinpoint his location by sound, her sight was at least well enough that she could spot him. "Hello Kagemen," she responded flatly.

"Is it time for something to happen?"

"Of course," she answered curtly, wanting to get this meeting over and done with.

"Now, now, no need to be snippy. Afterall," Kagemen emerged from the shadows looking exactly like the hawk before him. "-We're like sisters you and I."

Youtei rolled her eyes and handed him the letter, "The plans for tomorrow, Kuroinu-sama assumes you can handle everything."

Kagemen perused the marks of ink on white before replying. "That I can," Kagemen smiled, eerily like Youtei's own. "It pleases me to know the Kuroinu-sama has such faith in me," s/he crooned with devotion

Youtei all but snarled at the mocking inflection the shadow gave to her image. "Just do your job Kagemen, and make whatever changes you deem necessary for all to be ready on time."

"It seems Kuroinu-sama has finally lost his patience," the double said folding the paper back up. _Kuroinu always tended to get a little reckless when things didn't go his way on the first shot_. "No changes should be needed, Yuki-dono is gone, but Hikaru's brother has arrived, as hanyou I see no need to change the previous arrangements."

"Be aware Kagemen, this group is often full of surprises, even the humans. Do not underestimate them."

"I am aware of that Youtei, and I will not. Now," Her mirror grinned, skin blackening and shape changing into that of her lord, "Is there anything you want to do before you leave?" he asked suggestively.

Youtei stepped back defensively out of disgust, "No. Our business is concluded and now I must return to the castle before I am missed."

"Yes, please hurry back," Kagemen mocked in a voice of all sincerity, "You are already missed Youtei…" He moved up pulling Youtei against him, "by me."

"Remove your hands doppelganger or else-"

"Or else I'll loose them? Come now, I'm sure you can come up with something better than that." Kuroinu's eyes looked at her passionately as he brought a hand up to her face, "I can think of many better things to do with them myself, and none of them involve amputation... Removal of other things perhaps."

The hawk could almost feel herself giving in to believing that this was her beloved master before she shoved the youkai back. She heard Kuroinu's voice laughing at her as she took off into the air. "What's wrong little bird? Want something you can never have?" he called after her. He sighed as she started to fade off into the lightening sky, eyes pitying and almost sympathetic,

"There is nothing sadder then a puppet who refuses to see her own strings." _Oh well_, the shadow thought, form shifting again, _I had best get back before I am missed as well_.

The laughter did not sit well with Youtei.

* * *

Nor did it make Yuki any happier, she remembered a laugh much like that from her own past. That she had come across by chance; it had saved her from making one of the biggest mistakes of her life. It had also broken her heart. If the hawk lived she saw a similar fate in store for her. Would the hawk react the same way she did? Would she run? Or would Sesshoumaru see to the traitors death before the truth was revealed to her. 

The white youkai shook her head, dispelling the thoughts and focusing again upon her work. Then Yuki cursed, she really had to become more powerful at scrying, if she had been she would have been able to see right through to Kagemen's true form, or at least be able to follow him. She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, at least she got a good enough look at the contents of the letter to know what was happening. Things would be coming to a head much sooner than she had expected.  
She waved her hand, dispelling the magic, Youtei was returning to the palace now, there was little need to watch the rest of that trip. She sat down and leaned back into a large cushion. She hated it when things got this serious, she enjoyed the mask that she was becoming, and she hated removing it. No, it wasn't a mask, it was just another part of her. A part of her she loved that was no good in these situations, so it had to be put aside. She liked being care-free and nosy, and she enjoyed the reactions of other's to her own actions. She stared at the palm of one of her hands, idly tracing the lines with one of her claws, tickling her skin slightly. But for now she would have to be the daughter of Inutaisho.

Could she do that again?

She had been her mother's daughter for so long, indulging herself in so many magics and cultures that some were blended into her life in many ways. But now she had taken up the mantle of responsibility again. She told Sesshoumaru that she and only she would defend the throne until his ascension, at least from Kuroinu. Perhaps both she and her mother cared little for societal rules and bonds (of course her mother had not been not quite so far out there as herself), but when one said something, made a promise or gave their word one had to see it through.

Yuki had accepted part of her role as the daughter of Inutaisho.

She said she would protect the throne from this particular usurper.

_ And so I will._

_

* * *

_

Kuroinu looked out his window, thinking through the events of the day to come. He had already selected a place to meet Sesshoumaru. It had to be somewhere a good enough distance away from the castle that no one else would be able to notice and interfere (especially since they would likely aid the future lord rather than himself), but not so far as that it would take too long to get to. There was a ravine on the other side of the mountain, not a far distance for youkai that could fly, but not a common travel route either, that he had surveyed not long before and deemed worthy of his setup.

He had little doubt that Sesshoumaru would suspect something of him. After what had happened before he knew Sesshoumaru would never trust him. Sesshoumaru had to have known more details then everyone else. All anyone else really knew was that Yuki had refused the sovereignty of the western lands, and then she left Japan. Oh well, to build a castle you have to cut down a few trees. And to take dominion over the western lands he'd have a kill a few heirs.

* * *

Inuyasha had finally given up trying to sleep when he noticed the sunlight streaming in through his window. Being back in the palace was just too weird, being in a big room like this all to himself; he almost felt like he was grounded and it was driving him nuts. The hanyou felt like he shouldn't let others know he was here, and more than that he didn't feel he should be too far away from Kagome either, who was likely asleep in her own room next door. Then there was the fact that he had no idea what was going on. Someone had kidnapped Kagome, Sango and Hikaru but why? Yuki knew who and why and he was positive she had told Sesshoumaru. Suddenly he felt like the little brother that got left behind because he was too small to play big-kid games… 

Or too human to play youkai ones.

He growled slightly to himself. He hated being here, it kept bringing up uncomfortable memories. Finally too frustrated to sit still he got up and decided to go for a walk. _Yuki and Sesshoumaru can protect Kagome while I'm gone_. He convinced himself, stopping by each of his siblings doors and giving a slight sniff to ensure they were inside before being off on his way. But he noticed Kagome's scent in Sesshoumaru's room as well, resisting the urge to bust in demanding anything he stormed off down  
the hallway suddenly wishing for his winged sparring partner.

* * *

His eyes narrowed slightly at the knock on his door, he reluctantly removed his arm from it's resting place across Kagome's collar, "Come in," he replied careful not to speak too loudly. 

"Sesshou-" Yuki paused a moment when she saw the sleeping miko on the floor beside her brother, head rested against his leg.

"One word and I'll tear out your eyes," her younger brother responded without looking up from his scroll.

"Oh no need to threaten, I was just wondering how long it took your leg to fall asleep," she grinned, but her voice was low enough as to not wake the miko.

He turned his golden gaze upon her, eyes narrowed slightly, "What do you want Yuki?"

"Well I just thought I'd let you know I eavesdropped on a little bird earlier and it looks as though this will be over tonight."

Sesshoumaru raised a brow at her as if to say "oh really?"

"But… I don't think it will come easy, for us or your home. I was thinking of sending Makumba to warn and prepare for a possible attack. I believe they're preparing an ultimatum."

Sesshoumaru held his sister's gaze for a moment, "Earlier today did you not warn me against trusting her?"

Yuki shrugged, "Well if she doesn't tell them and they're caught off guard then we know she's a traitor."

"I would rather not test it that way," Sesshoumaru said flatly.

Yuki waved a hand at her brother dismissively, "Oh don't worry so much Sesshou, I'll send a message ahead magically to someone, if she arrives and doesn't say anything then we know and they will still be able to prepare."

The youkai pillow gave Yuki a dubious glance, "And who do you intend to inform?"

"Don't worry, It's someone I'm sure we can trust!" She waved as she headed back out the door.

* * *

"Makumba." 

The cat stopped at the sound of her name, turning to face the toad. "Yes Jaken what is it?"

"Yuki-sama has asked that you go speak with her."

The cat simply nodded, "I have nothing else to do right now. Do you know where she is?"

"She awaits your arrival in her chambers."

Jaken watched as the cat walked off in the direction he had come from. Something was going to happen, he could feel it in his bones. Of course the previous psychic conversation with Yuki more than hinted that something was amiss, not to mention the subsequent arrival of her Inuyasha and the human witch… errr miko. He suspected a coup was underway and Yuki was trying to prevent it. Jaken was happy to know that his master had a powerful ally in his sister. If Yuki truly wanted the rulership all she had to do was request it, and despite her bizarre behavior he knew she would do anything for her family.

But how did Makumba fit into this? Was she an ally or a traitor? Did Yuki intend to take her out of the picture now or question her for information? He was sorely tempted to go eavesdrop at his mistress's door. But such an act was below him, not to mention the fact that Yuki would probably catch and punish him.

The toad sighed, he usually knew everything that was going on, oh well. He looked out the window, it was about three hours after sunrise now and he had one other errand as well, muttering under his breath Jaken went out in search of the hanyou.

* * *

It was such a nice place to be, out in the sun, nothing around but fields of grass and flowers. The wind brushed though her ebony hair like the hand of a lover... 

Speaking of lovers where was he? A part of her knew he was late, that he should be here by now. Oh well it was alright, she did always forgive him after all, and how could she not? He was always so cute when he felt sorry or embarrassed, of course it wasn't hard for her at all to tell these things.

"Kagome!" She heard a voice call over the hill.

"I'm over here!" She smiled running over to meet him. As he came over the hill he lept into her embrace and she was content, while another part of herself was throughly shocked and disgusted as she snuggled with the little green toad, his staff of two heads falling to the ground at her feet.

-

Kagome's eyes snapped opened and she shot straight up nearly taking Sesshoumaru's arm and tail with her. The youkai was immeditately alert (after a slight wince from the sudden pull on his tail) and dropped what he was doing. "What's wrong?" 

Kagome jumped at the voice, she had woken up in a disoriented state, not quite remembering where she had gone to sleep, she turned quickly and looked at Sesshoumaru for a moment before a rush of relief came over her. "Gomen, did I startle you?"

Golden eyes looked back at her for a moment before she suddenly realized that he would never admit such a thing, even to her.

"I'm.. sorry it was just... a really _really_ weird dream." She looked off to the side a moment, somewhat perplexed, "I've been having quite a few of those lately."

"You should speak to Yuki of them, she is quite adept at decoding dreams."

Kagome abrutbly paled at the idea of telling _anyone_ about the image she just woke up from. "Welll.. ehh, I don't think she would understand, too many pop-culture referances." The youkai looked at her curiously. "Oh uhh.. 20th century stuff hehe," she laughed nervously then she noticed the grin behind Sesshoumaru's eyes. _Jerk, he just likes watching me squirm..._

_

* * *

_

"Yuki-sama?"

"Ah Makumba good! Come in, come in! Oh and close the door behind you I have some very hush-hush girl stuff I'd like to talk to you about." The spotted cat did as she bid, certain that Yuki did not send for her to talk just about "girl stuff" especially when the white youkai cast a quick spell. "There now no one can hear for sure."

"What is it you need of me Yuki-sama?"

"Oh your so sharp! I've always like that about you." There was a pause as Yuki awaited a response and Makumba waited for her to continue.

…

"Oh," the cheetah muttered, "Uhh thank you…"

"Right well, anyway Makumba I need you to go back to Sesshoumaru's castle and prepare everyone there for battle, but do so discretely-"

"What?"

"-In a way that someone looking from the outside would not notice."

"Excuse me again Yuki-sama but: What? Prepare for battle?"

Yuki's tone sombered slightly, "Oh well it seems someone is trying to get leverage over Sesshou. All I know is that something will occur at the castle, probably not until sunset. When you leave here do not look to be in too much of a hurry, I want our usurper to have as few reasons as possible to suspect that we know. And don't tell anyone where you are going other than that you are delivering a message for me. Don't bother saying to who as most of the important youkai in the area are arriving tomorrow if they are not already here."

"Yes Yuki-sama," she responded, going into soldier mode.

"Here," Yuki said, handing Makumba some rolled up parchment, "Can't have you delivering a message without a letter now can we?"

"Is there-"

"Oh just give it to Rin, it's a picture of some flowers. Do you understand everything I've told you?"

"Of course."

"Good!" Yuki responded, suddenly cheerful again, "Now shoo! I've got a coup to stop, spells to cast, and these old clothes of mine to be spiced up a bit before the coronation! Oh and don't worry about telling Sesshou I'm sending you I already cleared it with him." The cat was unceremoniously shoved out the door and Makumba stood there a moment confused the "letter" in her hands. After a few seconds the cat just shrugged it off and went off to do as she was told.

"Now," Yuki said to herself once the cheetah had left, "to send that message ahead."

* * *

Inuyasha stood at the base of a cherry tree looking up into the branches. Graves and shrines for humans were not permitted inside the castle walls and he was sure that Sakura's would be too difficult for him to hunt down at the moment. Especially since it was likely to be overgrown by now. "_It's not fair!_" a six year old Sakura cried up at him, she was barely in the bottom branches of the tree while a younger version of himself stuck his tounge out from fifteen feet above her. "_Why can't I climb high like you?"_

"_Keh! That's because I'm a boy. Boys climb better than girls!_"

"That may be true" a third voice rang in, "but cats climb better than dogs." Looking down Inu-chan and Sakura-chan saw an adolescent Makumba jump into the tree and with a few easy jumps was much higher than both of them.

"_That's not 'cause your a cat!"_ Inu-chan shouted at her indignantly, "_It's just 'cause you're older!."_

"_The word is 'because' Inuyasha. A person of your station should speak properly._"

"_Aniiue_!" The adolescent Sesshoumaru watched as the little red and white mass of fire-rat fur and hair lunged himself out of the tree towards him. Grinning he stuck a hand out and caught his younger sibling by the scuff of his haori their faces inches from each other.

The little Inuyasha looked at him with wide startled eyes, for a moment his older brother thought he might cry at the sudden jolt. "_THAT WAS SO COOL ANIIUE! Do it again! Do it again!_"

He grinned while putting the hanyou on the ground, "_Well I would but I can't since you've already jumped out of the tree._"

Inuyasha thought for a moment then his eyes brightened, "_Do it with Sakura!_" Sesshoumaru raised a brow and looked up at the little human girl who had an experession of equal shock and horror. "_Come on Sakura! Jump down! Aniiue will catch you!_"

She looked back and forth between the two, then finally back at the elder of the two, "_Will you Sesshoumaru-sama?_"

He smiled at his little brother's friend, "_I will._"

Having heard many times from Inuyasha that Sesshoumaru always kept his word the little girl stood up on her branch and prepared for her leap.

_I think that's when it started,_ Inuyasha thought to himself, _an older guy earning the trust of a little girl._ His brow furrowed slightly at the thought, _Was it my fault Sakura?_

"Inuyasha-sama!"

The hanyou twicthed as the scratchy voice of Sesshoumaru's retainer hit his ears disrupting his reverie. "What is it?" he half growled.

"Sesshoumaru-sama wishes to speak with you in his chambers."

Inuyasha looked down a moment in thought, "I'll be there in a minute." Jaken made a move as if to yell at the hanyou for keeping Sesshoumaru-sama waiting but stopped realizing it would be a wasted effort.

Inuyasha looked back at the tree as he heard the toad hobble away. Everything had changed when Sakura died, his life rapidly picking up a downhill pace. Yuki had already retreated to her books, Sesshoumaru became the cold distant self he knew and hated, and not long after that their father was killed. _How would things be different if you didn't die Sakura?_

* * *

_  
_

"_Miroku-kun_"

The monk jumped slightly at the scratchy sounding voice, looking around for it's source. "_Calm down Miroku-kun it's me, Yuki._"

"Ahh Yuki-sama," he repiled with a grin, "What can I do for you today?"

"_Well lower your barriers a bit for starters, you're making me try to hard just to talk to you._"

"Gomen, though I am pleased you would try so hard just to do so."

Yuki laughed the sound now much more clear to Miroku, "_Yes I bet you are. Now I have a bit of a favor to ask of you._"

"And what is it I can do for a lovely lady such as yourself Yuki-sama?"

"_Flatterer._ _I'm going to need you to hedge out a traitor for me_." Miroku's eyes widened slightly but he let her continue. "_I have sent Makumba there to tell you that the manor will be attacked at sundown. If she does not inform you then she is a traitor to Sesshou. Until then I only want you, Sango, and our feathered friends if you feel they are trustwothy, to prepare discretely until she arrives. Take her out if she's traitor by whatever means you deem fit. She should be there within an hour._"

"_I believe I can do that for you Yuki-sama," _he replied with thoughts alone, realizing he could do so.

_"Oh and Miroku-kun, do take care of the children as well._"

"_Of course_"

"_Well then, see you in a few days... asuming we all live_." He could feel her precense starting to leave when all of a sudden there was a small gasp, "_Such thoughts for a houshi!"_ she teased.

Miroku grinned, knowing his thoughts had not been read (only beacause he wasn't thinking that)and shook his head before going to talk with Sango.

* * *

Kagome sat across from Sesshoumaru again, he had bascially told what was going on, but she knew he was keeping certain details from her, like the names of his traitors. That she could somewhat understand, if she knew _who_ was involved she would act differently around them and... well she wasn't quite sure what but she wasn't exactly a tactician. But what she couldn't understand was why Sesshoumaru continued on with his paper work like nothing was going on. 

"So it's going to happen soon?"

A nod.

"Will the fight be hard?"

"More than likely, they'd have to be a powerful enough youkai to maintain the title once they have taken it."

"Then why are you still working?"

"There are many things that need to be taken care of," he waved a hand over the scrolls, "This is more or less what the council and my uncle have done in my absense. Since he was only a regent I have to authority to change or overrule any of these once I obtain my proper title, I need to be familiar with all of these."

"So you're not worried about the fight?"

"No."

"I see... But I guess you wouldn't, between you, Yuki, Inuyasha and myself, I'm sure we can take them down."

For the fist time since he ended the debriefing the youkai turned his eyes up at her, "We?"

"Yeah, you don't think I'm staying here do you?"

His response was a look that clearly said he did.

"No, Sesshoumaru. If you think I'm going to sit here waiting on my hope chest for you come back alive you've got another think coming!"

Sesshoumaru didn't know what a "hope chest" was or where Kagome was keeping it, but he had little thought to waste on it right now. "Actually, you will wait here because I will not have you hurt in this battle."

"And what makes you think I can't take care of myself? After all the shard hunting and Naraku hunting I've been through?" Her voice was getting dangerously emotional in Sesshoumaru's opinion.

"True, but most of the youkai you have encountered were not nearly on the same level as what we will be facing. You cannot take on a fight against multiple high-blooded youkai Kagome, and I cannot ensure your safety as I do not know how many the ursurper has on his side"

"All the more reason I should be there to help you!"

"You would only prove as a distra-"

"DON'T you DARE give me that distraction nonsense!"

"Kagome you will stay here."

"Like Hell I will!"

"Precisely."

She glared at him, not sure how he had turned her words against her, but she found herself thinking that she would give Naraku her shikon shards for another sit necklace at that moment. The staring contest went on between firey blue and cold, logical gold. "Hey Sesshoumaru you wanted to see m-" Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks. Kagome had turned in his direction as soon as he spoke with a glare that clearly said "osuwari" with a few exclamation points that would drive him further into the geound than usual. His ears flattened to his head, wondering what he had done noe, until she turned the "you-deserve-much-worse-than-an-osuwari glare of doom" at Sesshoumaru for a second then marched out the door passed him with little more than a nod. As she walked passed the hanyou felt a rush of relief, confuison, and curiosity wash over him. His eyes followed her out of sight and then turned to look at Sesshoumaru. He had been on the business end of that glare a few (but very frightening) times and wondered what the Ice-Lord of the Western Lands had done to deserve it.

"I do not suppose you would be able to talk some sense into her?"

Inuyasha cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms, "About...?"

"Staying behind should I go to fight."

"Keh. The wench doesn't have room for that kind of sense." Ignoring the glare his brother gave him the hanyou continued, "She has never left a fight when others were fighting too, no matter how useless she might be." The hanyou shook his head, "You should have been there when this black miko put a kill-curse thing on Kagome a few weeks ago. She insisted I take her out to find the bitch while she wasn't under direct attack. When we get there the curse is back in effect and lying in the grass she throws the bitch's shikigami right back at her." Inuyasha almost would have laughed had the event itself not been so stressful.  
"She's as stubborn as a herd of bulls but she comes through, besides her aim's really good," he threw a grin at Sesshoumaru, "or didya forget?"

Sesshoumaru looked at his brother, for an instant marvelling at the fact the Inuyasha had spoken as many words without resorting to violence yet. "Yes I do recall, she broke my armor."

Inuyasha nodded, "And I'd never tell her but she's only gotten better."

* * *

"Ah there you are Kagome-_chan_!" Kagome was compeletly taken aback as one of Yuki's pale hands grabbed her wrist, "Come join me for some tea in the courtyard won't you?" Suddenly lost in the white highpitched whirlwind that was Yuki Kagome could do nothing else but follow. At some point she recalled seeing the horse youkai Umajin and sheepishly waved at him as she was dragged by Yuki saying something about "You two are just so silly and cute sometimes I can't stand it!"  
Kagome didn't _think _she was talking about her and Sesshoumaru anymore at that point. They eventually stopped in a small gazebo that extended over a small lake. "Now I know my brother can be extremely stubborn but that's no reason to get so upset." 

"Oh.. you heard that huh?" Kagome blushed as her tea was poured.

"Oh no dear, our rooms are magically soundproofed. I did however get a wonderful wave of the vibes you two were sending through the walls."

"What do you mean 'us two'?" Kagome asked, "he didn't seem all that upset."

Yuki waved to dismiss the servant, "Oh my dear how much you have to learn, Sesshoumaru is the king of the icy cold mask of apathy. I however am quite adept at seeing through such things."

Kagome gulped, "He.. he's not mad at me is he?"

Yuki laughed, "No dear he's more frustrated and worried than anything else. He just doesn't want you to get hurt-"

"Like Sakura," Kagome muttered.

"Yes exactly! Like-" Yuki stopped, "How did you know about Sakura?"

"Inuyasha told me."

"Ah, yes, well that figures."

"He just wanted to know what I was getting into."

"Yes well though his version may be accurate you must understand something Kagome. Inuyasha's mother reacted very badly to what happened. She tried to convince father to basically ban Sesshou from seeing Inuyasha, fortunately, in this case, logic won out. Well at least as far as that argument went. Sesshou on the other hand-."

"Closed up his emotions and became a control freak?"

Yuki tilted her head a moment in thought, doodling in her tea with a finely pointed claw, "Basically.. yes."

* * *

"Report." 

"It does not appear as though they know anything, Sesshoumaru has been looking over the past decrees and such and he's currently speaking with Inuyasha."

A brow raised, "_'Speaking _with Inuyasha?'"

"Yes, I admit that is odd. And Yuki is currently having tea with the miko girl."

"Ahhh yes.. my dear Yuki is here, I almost forgot. How fun this will be."

"Though she did send Makumba off early this morning."

"This morning?"

"Hai."

Kuroinu's eyes narrowed, "She knows, and if she knows so too does Sesshoumaru."

"Know what exactly my lord?"

The black dog grinned at the one before him, "They know what is coming, but not from _who_."

* * *

The cheetah's feet pounded on the ground kicking up dust and dirt behind her. The castle finally in sight she skidded to a halt before the doors. Taking a breath she opened them and tried to act calmly as she entered the grounds. "Makumba-sama what are you doing here?" "I need to see Sesshoumaru-sama's guests." 

"The hanyous are in the dojo and the taijya and houshi are near there as well with Rin-san and the kitsune."

"Good," she nodded, "follow me for a bit." She walked into the covered halls with the servant. "Tell everyone to get ready, but discretely," Makumba said quietly, not looking at the man beside her, "We are going to be under seige come sunset possibly sooner, but our enemies may already be stationed outside. Let _nothing_ be viewable from the outside and prepare a safe room for the children."

"It will be done Makumba-sama."

"We will be no one's ultimatum, now go quickly."

"Hai," as the servant turned off at the next corridor.

Makumba came upon the small garden area between the main house and the dojo. The Taijya looked up and seeing her looked to the houshi and pointed in her direction with a nod. "Miroku-sama, Sango-sama may I speak with you for a moment?"  
Sango nodded and looked to Rin and Shippo, "You two stay right here for a few minutes, Kirara make sure they don't get into any trouble." A brief mew and the two humans walked up to Makumba and led them into the dojo where Nataku and Hikaru were maintenancing their weapons.

"Yuki-sama sent me, we are going to be under attack-"

"-at sundown," Hikaru finished. "You think we're doing this for fun?" upon closer inspection one could see that the weapons on the racks also looked recently cleaned and sharpened..

Makumba grinned, "It looks as though Yuki-sama knows how to test everyone doesn't she? Told you ahead of time incase I was a traitor." She wandered over to the weapons rack and picked up a short straight bladed sword with beads hanging off the sheath, pulling it off she gave it a few quick swings and strapped it to her waist. "These weapons will do little good in the hands of the servants. Most of them are mere humans (no offense)and weak youkai who are little better than farmers. You can bet our enemies will be more than that."

"So we'll be doing most of the fighting." Sango said.

"It's to be expected," Nataku finished.

"What has been done thus far?"

"Obaasan and Ojiisan are brewing up somethings in the basement and Sango and I have been discussing tactics."

"Good, what have we got so far?"

* * *

"Why should I?" 

"Because you want to see Kagome hurt as much as I do."

"True, but what's to stop me from going after you and leaving her here?" Inuyasha asked.

"Because it could be a trap and they could try and hold Kagome captive again."

"Ok, so why shouldn't I just bring her with me and protect her while we fight?"

Sesshoumaru felt his frustrations mounting, "We will be fighting no less than three, probably more, high-blooded youkai, stronger than those we fought at the cave. As I have told her, this is not going to be one of your usual fights. I am not asking you Inuyasha, I am _ordering_ you: Keep Kagome here, and keep her safe."

Inuyasha glared at his brother, ears backing down a little again. Sesshoumaru read his brother quite well, he didn't like it but agreed to it... for now.

* * *

"Kagome I want to tell you something," Yuki said pouring herself some more tea, "Though I have not seen you I believe in your ability to help in this fight. I can tell you right now that Sesshou is probably telling Inu-chan to keep you here when we leave." 

"Like Inuyasha's gonna do what _he_ says."

"In this castle he may, and as you are his best friend he will likely agree to keep you away from danger." Kagome opened her mouth but before she could say anything Yuki held up a hand, "But, he will want to fight as well. So here is what I'm going to do. After we leave I am going to lead you to us, I am going to tell you and Inuyasha where to find us after we leave."

The miko looked confused, "But... but how? Surely Sesshoumaru will notice sending us a message or something."

"Oh but not the way I do it," Yuki grinned. She moved the teapot and with her claw drew a symbol in the air above the table. Kagome watched as the lines glowed until the symbol was completed then faded.

Kagome felt a twinge at the base of her skull several times. She jumped and moved her hand to rub the back of her neck.

"What was that?"

"That was me knocking, remember what that feels like. Your natural barriers are such that I can't just waltz in and talk to you."

"Talk to me?"

"_Yes talk to you,"_ she heared Yuki's static-coated voice in her head. "_Just let loose you shields, just a little bit, around my voice."_

Kagome felt very uncomfortable, the last time she heard a voice in her head it was telling her to kill Inuyasha.

"Don't worry Kagome," Yuki said aloud seeing the girl's worry in her aura, "I can't read you mind with this, and I can't make you do things. This is just a way to communicate. _Voice to voice, Mind to Mind. Only surface thoughts you project out to me._"

"Oh.. I see..." Suddenly Kagome grinned, "_heh, who needs a cell phone._"

"A what?"

"_I'll tell you later._"

"Ok. I can tap right into Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha since we're related, and most youkai because I'm just that good. But human's with spiritual powers like you and Miroku still give me a little trouble, it's like I have to be invited. Now Sesshoumaru would normally be able to tell a little flux in power when I cast, but he'll be too riled up for the fight, and frankly so will I so I think he'll just pass it off as my youki fluxuating."

"So what were you casting earlier when you had your finger in your tea cup? That took longer than what you just did."

"You are so perceptive Kagome-chan!"

Kagome blushed, "Yes well now that I know what that feeling was I thought I might as well ask."

"Yes well suffice to say anyone standing outside of this Gazebo thinks we're talking about kimonos, boys, hairstyles and other girly things."

"So.. what's stopping us?"

Yuki sipped her tea and looked up, "From what?"

"Talking about boys." Kagome grinned.

* * *

The cat walked through the halls overseeing some of the preparations for the oncoming battle. She spied one of the two ancient youkai that worked in the basement and library. "Ojiisan, what do you have there?" "Ahhh... Makumba-sama," he replied in a voice that reminded her of the dry parchments he read, "I was just going to go put these wards up around the castle walls, they should keep the enemy from entering." 

"Will it truly keep them at bay?" she asked, remembering similar charms being used little over a month ago that kept people from leaving.

"Unfortunately I am not as strong as I used to be, it will hold them back for a little while, but it will depend on the forces they bring."

"Very well," Makumba held out her had, "do not push yourself too much Ojiisan, I will put them around, I'm sure there are more spells for you to make use of."

He nodded, "But of course! I was just reading one last decade... now if only I could find out where I left it.."

"And where is Obaasan?"

"Oh she is in the basement brewing up something good, but I wouldn't bother her now. You know how she likes to work alone."

Makumba nodded, remembering having recieved a few lumps to the head, "I do. Keep with your research we will need your knowledge again before the night is through."

"But of course Makumba-sama."

As the old man continued down the hall Makumba made her way towards the outer wall when she looked down at the wards in her hands. After a moment a sardonic grin found its way to her features.

* * *

Juutsuma had made his way to the dojo and armory. There was so much and so very little to do right now. Many things were being done, none by him and all he had to do was sit back and wait. It was good and it was bad he supposed, but as always the warmaster was impatient in times of peace. He enjoyed a good fight and longed for the next one to arrive. But until it did all he could do was wait so he pulled a staff off the wall and with little else in his mind to do he began some forms. Halfway through his second set of forms (this one done with a katana) Umajinn walked in, "Thought I might find you here." The tiger did not halt in his excercise, "Does something need to be done?" 

Umajinn shrugged, "No just aimless meanderings on my part."

"I would appreciate it if you did not do that in my direction."

The horse wandered over the the weapons rack and pulled off a katana of his own, "My my that's disrepectful Juutsuma-san, I think I need to challenge you for it."

Juutsuma grinned, he could go for a good spar, even if Umajinn had never defeated him in one-on-one before, he was a decent challenge.

* * *

Makumba knew several things about the castle that few others knew, save for Sesshoumaru and whoever else he had chosen to bestow the secret to. She knew, for example, that there were a few select secret passages within his home that led out. The cheetah also knew that if wards were not placed around an entrance one could get out that way, no matter how well covered the walls were. And so she went about the castle leaving one select and well hidden passage unguarded by the spell... 

Yuki stopped and looked up into the sky her minds eye seeing the stars that were hidden by the blue sheet of day. _It will all come to a head very soon_...

"Is something wrong Yuki-sama?" Kagome asked.

Yuki smiled brightly, "No I was just looking at the stars."

Kagome laughed, "You know Yuki sometimes you are just too much."

"Thank you, I try."

* * *

**Hika-chan**: Ok so I know it was kindof a weak end for the chapter, a perhaps a little too lighthearted considering the fact that it's about to get all kinds of messy soon.  
**Hikaru**:monotone so you mean you're finally gonna get to the point?  
**Kagome**: And stop leaving us in limbo?  
**HC**: ' ehhehehee... well I do have 3 school projects due next week and then a big one to start right after that, not to mention work and Rocky...  
**Nataku**: So get out the poker chips folks we're still gonna be waiting forever for the next chapter.  
**HC**: No they won't!  
**Sesshoumaru**: glares  
**HC**-eek-shies away ok OK! so you probably will! But I'm gonna try and get this done! I swear!  
**Yuki**: You know you really shouldn't lie.  
**HC**: sniffles then lets out a high pitched cry WHY ARE YOU ALL SO MEAN TO MEEE!  
Yuki and Sesshoumaru grab their ears, all the others wince  
**Yuki**: Oh god someone shut her up!  
**Sesshoumaru**: Now you know how _I_ feel sometimes. Yuki sticks her tounge out at Sesshoumaru  
**Nataku**: pointing Hey are those rice crispy treats?  
**HC**: abrubtly stops what? where? Runs off in the direction Nataku points  
**Inuyasha**: bringing in a card table So who's got the first deal? 


	17. Where Loyalties Lie

Yep, so another chappy up and prolly another month (at least) till the next, but who knows I might surprise myself… then again I am going stir crazy…

I don't own them

**Once in a Blue Moon**

An Inuyasha Fanfic by Hika-chan

**Chapter 17: Where Loyalties Lie**

The note arrived at about four in the afternoon according to Kagome's watch. She had already gone with Yuki to the armory, where they caught the end of Juutsuma's victory over Umajin, and retrieved herself a bow and some arrows. She left them in her own room and sat with Sesshoumaru for a brief period before it arrived. "I need to go speak with my uncle," he said in his business like fashion. Something in his eyes, and what she knew from Yuki, told her that it was not the whole truth.

'_He may still be going to see his uncle_,' she thought, '_but that is not what the letter is about._'

"I also have a few other things to discuss with some council members. I will be a while." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, "You should not wait for me all that time. Perhaps you could spend time with one of my siblings until I return."

"Sure," she said quietly, thinking '_If you return_."

The corners of his mouth turned up just slightly, "Do not worry, it is just business." A light pressing of his lips to hers and he left.

Kagome watched him leave and turn around the corner. '_Why do you lie to me Sesshoumaru?_' She could still feel the shadow of a kiss on her lips and wondered if that was all he had planned on leaving her with should he die. True, he said he had no worries of winning the battle, but if he truly believed that then he was dangerously overconfident. If he really believed it to be easy, however, then her welfare would not be an issue. She turned her eyes to the window as the cool breeze of the arriving autumn entered the room. '_Two or three hours until sunset…I should grab a snack. I need to keep my strength up.'_

* * *

Quiet feet went down the steps to the basement, "Obaasan are you here?" she asked, wondering what concoction the old woman had come up with. A grin spread once again across her lips as she heard the crackle of the fire, her sense of smell obscured by the strong smell of herbs in the air.

* * *

"There you are!" 

The hanyou turned at the enthusiastic call of his name. He was surprised somewhat to see Kagome jogging towards him with what appeared to be food in her hands. "What's all that for?" Inuyasha asked.

"Just some snacks," the miko said coming to a halt on the path next to him.

"Yeah, but what's it for?"

"Well," Kagome said a bit quieter, "If something happens I don't want an empty stomach to distract us."

Gold eyes widened slightly in surprise, "How did you know?"

Kagome smiled slightly, but it didn't quite reach her eyes, "Yuki told me. Just like she told me Sesshoumaru probably asked you to keep me out of it."

The hanyou snorted, "Figures."

"Yes well, we all know that isn't going to happen anyway."

Inuyasha's ears fell back a bit, "What do you mean?" he asked cautiously.

"I only have to say one word to keep you from stopping me, so you might as well just cooperate so you can come along."

* * *

The cat left shortly after arriving. A smelly greenish liquid was all over the floor, soaking between the cracks and into the floorboards. The old woman lay against the wall unconscious but otherwise unhurt. The attacker obviously wanted to make sure that should the plan fail that brownie points could be earned with Sesshoumaru. 

Makumba would advise the others that she was in a bad mood and not to go down into the basement.

* * *

Jaken went to find the other servants of his Lord; they were all to meet him at the back wall of the garden within the hour. Unlike the hanyou and the wench err… miko they never bothered to ask questions. They just followed the orders of their betters like they were supposed to. 

An hour before sunset Juutsuma, Umajin, and Youtei were joined by Sesshoumaru, Yuki and Jaken. Umajin looked around slightly confused, "Where is Makumba?"

"She's running an errand for me," Yuki said.

Youtei looked at the elder sibling when she spoke. Her voice did not seem as chipper or even as confidant as it usually did. She knew her master had an encounter of sorts with Yuki before. The hawk did not know the details all she knew was that though Kuroinu did not get what he wanted he also, for lack of a better word, broke the elder sister of Sesshoumaru.

"Someone is attempting to coerce me out of my position," Sesshoumaru said out of nowhere. "They wish to speak with me soon to discuss…an ultimatum," the last word had just a hint of a growl to it though his face remained perfectly calm. "They do not care if I come alone, so we will all go, hear this pathetic creature's attempt at blackmail then rip them to shreds for the offence."

"You do not believe them to be a threat, do you Sesshoumaru-sama?" The horse asked.

"I never assume, otherwise you all would not be joining me. However it is not common for an attempted coup to fail by such things. You are all armed?" His servants nodded. "Good then it is time to go."

"Sesshoumaru-sama, if I may ask, why are we leaving from back here?" Juutsuma asked.

"I do not want the miko nor the hanyou to become involved in youkai business," he answered simply.

'_Geeze,'_ Yuki thought to herself, '_Laying it on a little thick aren't we Sesshou?'_

"Are there any other questions?" The young lord asked in a tone that clearly commanded there not be any.

They took to the air and he noticed the unnerved looks of his sister. From what he could tell her energy seemed a little more… chaotic then normal, she was not guarding her aura as well as usual, that or she was purposely putting out the vibes she was to fool the others. The prince was unsure, however, as this would be the first time in decades that Yuki would see Kuroinu face to face. Was she really nervous? Could she do this or would she fail him at the last second?

Sesshoumaru mentally shook himself. He would trust her to do this, the conviction with which she said she would fight Kuroinu was too much for him to ignore. Despite this, Sesshoumaru knew he would doubt his sister's abilities again before the fight began.

* * *

"So you understand what to do?" Makumba asked the hanyou quietly 

"Yeah," he said studying the ward he held in his hand, "When you make you make your move I go out the way you told me and remove all of these."

"Yes, but whatever you do don't tell your sister, she seems far too impulsive to wait."

Nataku grinned, "I think you have her confused with Inuyasha."

* * *

"_Inuyasha. Kagome_." The hanyou jumped slightly, he wasn't used to his sister's mental invasions. "_You're going to need a bit of help if you're going to get here in time to help at all_." 

"What do you mean Yuki?" Kagome answered smoothly.

"_We're flying over a few canyons, and the terrain is very rocky. I know Inu can make it but I have a quicker way for you_."

"And what's that?" Inuyasha said, slightly put out.

"_Go into my room, the trunk at the foot of my bed has something on the top that will help._"

Kagome looked to her hanyou friend and shrugged, the two went into Yuki's room and opened the trunk, Inuyasha took the first few things out and threw them on the floor, not seeing anything as helpful, "What is she talking about? I don't see how any of this."

"Yuki-sama… is this?" Kagome started. Inuyasha looked at her a little confused; she was unrolling what appeared to be a rug with some foreign pattern on it.

"_Is what dear? I can't see what you have_."

"Is this a flying carpet?"

"_Ah yes, that's what I was talking about, now I need to tell you how to use it._"

* * *

"Are we ready?" Miroku asked, looking around at the others. 

"I don't think that matters anymore houshi," Hikaru said from her perch, "They are coming."

Kirara and Sango joined Hikaru on the roof, "Where?" she asked, scanning the forest, "I don't see anything."

The half hawk narrowed her eyes slightly, "They think they are good. I can see them, however, some hair here, a rustle of bushes there."

"That's right," Sango suddenly realized, "Dog youkai have their smell, but you have your sight."

Hikaru looked to the exterminator, "We do not have long, and this is not likely to be a quick battle." With that the hanyou jumped off.

* * *

"Greetings Sesshoumaru, I'm so glad that you could make it." 

"Dispense with the false pleasantries, Kuroinu, we all know what we are here for." They had landed at the bottom of a canyon, Sesshoumaru and Kuroinu stood before each other, a short distance between them. The black dog was flanked by two other inu youkai. Jaken stood to the front left of Sesshoumaru, while Yuki was behind her brother, almost hiding behind him. Juutsuma stood to his right and Umajin and Youtei flanked the others a step behind.

"Long time no see Yuki," the female refused to meet his gaze and the usurper grinned.

"You are here to speak to me, Kuroinu. So speak before I rip your deceitful tongue from your mouth."

"Alright then," he said, cocking his head to the side, "I want your throne Sesshoumaru, and if you don't give it to me all those in your home will be massacred tonight."

Sesshoumaru repressed a grin, "What makes you think my home will be so easy to infiltrate?"

"Because it already has been Sesshoumaru, even if they have prepared for battle they are not ready for betrayal."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, a growl rumbling in his chest.

* * *

They stood before the front gate, waiting for the enemies to come forward from the tree line. "Any idea how many there are?" Miroku asked.

"Easily one hundred," Hikaru answered plainly, "probably more."

"Are the children secured?" Sango asked the old youkai.

He nodded, "Yes, they are as well protected as they can be at this point."

Behind them, Makumba drew her sword and narrowed her eyes at the back of her target.

* * *

Kagome was in control, and it made Inuyasha nervous. The school girl kept taking the carpet up and down. Admittedly it was not in a fashion too different from when he was leaping, but when they flew it was normally a straight line. "Kagome what are you doing?"

"Practicing," she said with a grin.

"What? Why are you doing that now?" the hanyou asked, gripping the carpet tighter as she made a sharp turn and another dive. "We need to get there now!"

"And I need to know how to use this baka!" she shouted over the wind, "I can avoid allot more attacks if I stay on this than on the ground." Bringing it out a climb Kagome got back on her feet, riding the carpet much like a surfboard. "Besides," she said grinning, "This is really fun!"

For some reason Inuyasha felt his life was already in danger…

* * *

**Hika-chan**: Wow almost 2000 words this chapter, but besides that we are very close to the end, fighting and bloodshed start next chapter! -shrinks away- which will probably minimum a month, especially since I have to rearrange my class schedule and deal with financial issues at the end of this month. Not to mention Dragon Con… maybe, but that depends on how the financials work ou-

**Inuyasha**: Will you shut up? No one cares about your little problems.

**Hika-chan**: -sniffles- What? –eyes water-

**Inuyasha**: I- uh… I just mean.. that uh…

**Hika-chan**: That nobody cares, is that it?

**Inuyasha**: well I mean it's-

**Yuk**i: What Inu-chan means dear is that allot of people can't wait to see your next chapter out, that's all.


End file.
